Brother of Dragons
by Khrysalis
Summary: Fantasy AU. Kenshin, a Wild Boy, wants justice for his people. Kaoru, unwanted orphan, wants love. They both want to be free. Maybe the key to all is each other. B/K
1. A Brother's Grief

1  
A Brother's Grief

Just as the old year had passed into the new, Kenshin's sister had died.

It was a bitter way to greet the year, or was it just a bitter a way for the new year to greet them? Whatever one's point of view, Kenshin's people were dying.

He could keenly hear silent wails of the dragon parts of his village. Kenshin's sister had been well-loved by all, but had been a great hope for the future as a brilliant, brave, strong, healthy female that would have been capable of bearing many just as brilliant, brave, strong, and healthy pups.

She had been close to coming of age, but now she never would. It was a dragon's way to grieve in silence while in public, and only to cry when alone, and the human parts of Kenshin's village, including himself, behaved no differently. But he could still feel them, outside, their heavy gazes, heavy hearts, as loudly as if they cried out and beat against the walls of his home in their mourning.

He sat with her body in the cabin they had shared for nearly as long as he could remember. She was his only family, had taken him in, adopted him, raised him, loved him. Though highly respected by their village, she had had an anti-social tendency that she had not intended to pass on to her little brother, but had nonetheless. Kenshin, fourteen years old, had adopted his sister's way of giving help where it was needed, but never his friendship very lightly, except to those he trusted mightily. He had a master who taught him the sword. And he had his sister, who had taught him many other things, remedies for his wounds, the reading and writing that was not much needed or practiced in his world, and numbers and ciphering. She had even felt it important to teach him to cook and sew, even if that was womanly work, insisting to him he might find himself without a woman to do it for him someday.

Wise sister. Brave sister. Beloved sister.

His tears fell on her sweet face, pale and peaceful in her death as he lovingly braided her favorite ribbon into her hair. The ribbon was yellow. She loved the color yellow. He straightened the seashell necklace he had made for her as a child on her throat. He had dressed her body in her favorite clothes as well. Her favorites, the clothes she _liked _to wear, as opposed to a more beautiful or ceremonial garb that she would have refused to put on while she was alive. Soft-yellow buckskin, no longer new and a bit frayed. But she would have been so pleased with his choice.

His breath came out in the softest echoes of sobs as he placed her sewing kit at her side. Her hands were as good with the stave and spear as they had been with the delicate uses of her needlework, an outlet for her endless creativity, her talents. She told stories with nothing more than cloth and thread, and not one home in their village didn't have a wall-hanging created by her, and fewer still did not wear a garment she had made, popular because of her eye for color and brilliance of design.

He gazed at her for a timeless moment, remembering how he had adored her as a small, spindly-legged child, following her wherever she went, his hand ever seeking hers. How freely she had given her attention, putting aside whatever she was doing to grab him up and tickle him, to help correct the writing he was practicing, to watch as he showed her his new kata. Never too busy. Never frustrated. Never impatient.

Kenshin felt himself falling forward until his forehead rested on her chest. He cried quietly, shaking all over. It didn't matter. No one could see, and even if they could, he wouldn't have cared. Traditions be damned, the one who loved him the most in this world was _dead_.

Yet he hoped even as he dampened the cloth of her favorite shirt, that this was a bad dream. That she would hear his tears and put her arms, warm with life, around his thin shoulders, assure him that all was well as she had when he was a child.

But she did not. Her flesh, underneath her clothing, was cold.

The wounds, he had seen them when he was preparing her body. Funerals were a very, very private affair to his people, and only he was permitted to touch her body after she had been brought home to him.

What was supposed to be a simple hunt, a leisurely little large-game stalk a wily dragon such as she occasionally went on to keep her skills sharp and her bloodlust in check, had gone horribly wrong when a large group of the Enemy had spotted her.

She was strong, but they were many. What they did to her, oh, _what they did to her_--!

Kenshin clung to her, a strained cry of grief escaping through his clenched teeth. His people had lived too far in the higher lands for the New People to have been much of a concern until recently. They came from across the sea, from other continents. It had been fine…at first. Much of the land was made up of vast stretches of unclaimed, untamed wilderness, bursting with life, danger, and adventure. There was plenty of room for the strangers from far away.

But the world they were from apparently had no dragons. Though powerful, intelligent, wise, and equipped with abilities humans didn't have, all-too-often they found themselves cornered by masses, being hunted out of fear, or for their strength and durability to slave labor, and especially for the properties of their bodies. Furry dragons had medicinal humors in their bodies, and reptile dragons had poisonous, both of which were useful if there was need for either.

The humans of Kenshin's people and the dragons of Kenshin's people had lived in harmony, together, since the beginning of time, before the Enemy came. His own sweet sister was a dragon!

They were his people, and they were suffering under these strangers, who thought themselves superior. They even ridiculed and enslaved the humans of Kenshin's kind, with similar vicious zeal. And his people had been driven away from their usual homes, especially the mountains…

He had been terribly young when his sister had carried him away from a childhood home there, wrapped in blankets against the winter chill. He had looked back over the snowy hills from over her shoulder as she walked with the group, her strong body supporting their supplies and belongings as well as himself. She had cried then. Making no sound, as was their way, but she could feel the shudders in her body.

She hated to run. Despised not staying and fighting for what was hers. But the strangers came in masses in their ships, and they had strange weapons that weren't readily understood. She had a small brother that needed her. And most of all, the woman who had been their leader back then had believed in trying the ways of peace before trying the ways of war.

Well, the way of peace had failed!

They killed his sister!

Kenshin's eyes were hot but dry as he wrapped her body in a robe. Over this, he placed tanned hide and secured it all with rawhide thongs to form a solid bundle.

She had never liked the dark, and the urge to tear the coverings from her face to give her back the light was strong. Always she had hated the dark! It wouldn't be right to bury her in the eternal blackness of the ground. Kenshin would take her to the lake, he decided. A great lake to the west that she had loved. He would carry her body into the waters and let her go. Through the depths, sunlight would always find her. Yes, it was better that way.

The former leader's efforts for peace had gotten her killed years before, and Kenshin's own sword master, Hiko, had been coerced by the village into taking over. A man even more anti-social than Sis, he had not exactly been happy with being rousted into the position, but he was wise, strong, calm, and could gain control of any situation with his glare alone. One had to admit that he was a good choice, and reluctant or not, he would protect those that needed him.

Kenshin felt his master's eyes on him as he carried his sister's body from their home, and gently laid her over their horse. He didn't look to his master, though, as he rode out. Hiko and his sister had never really gotten along, and the last thing he needed right now was any careless or ungentle words of her.

It wasn't far to the lake, but Kenshin didn't hurry. Her body was cold and stiff beneath her covering, but he didn't care. He held her to him. His big sister, as she had held him once. As she never would again.

No one followed him. Funerals were private, reserved for kin only, unless the deceased had no kin, and then everyone who wished could attend the placing of him or her to rest. Even if he was adopted, even if he was human and she dragon, he was her brother and everyone had always accepted that. This was his to do, alone.

The lake, the deepness into which his sister fell…he had chosen the sunniest spot he could find, where he knew she would sink deeply into the secretive crags of the water and her rest be undisturbed for all time. He would remember it for all of his life, but it would not be what he was thinking of as he made a slow journey home.

He was alone now. A sad smile appeared on his young face as he let the tears stream down. After this last time, there would never be a need to cry again. He was young, but there was nothing more he could lose.

He would do as his sister had once wanted to do. He would fight. He would fight the Enemy, the strangers. The New People would come to know fear as his people did. Even if they trembled at the sound of his name, and his life and death would come in the same legends as demons, he would find a way to protect his own people.

There were still those, in the hills, that had not been driven away, but under. They had hollowed out many secret places, and they fought. Losing, winning, all that mattered was the fight. Most of them were dragons, but there were a few skilled humans, like himself. He would go to them, he decided.

Strange, how Hiko seemed to know of the decision before Kenshin had even made it. The argument had chosen itself to occur right outside Kenshin's home. Although his cabin was at the farthest end of the village, closest to the road leading into the trees, there were enough people in hearing range for several heads to peer out of windows and doorways to observe the explosive row between master and student.

Observers would remember their last glimpse of young Kenshin standing with his fist gripping the reins of his horse, which was draped with a couple of war bags filled with his supplies. The boy's sword was at his side. Hiko, as always wearing the mantle of three hundred years of the tradition of his sword style, was as furious as they would ever see him.

"You're not going!"

"I am!"

"She wouldn't want this, _Kenshin_! Your sister didn't raise you for this! I didn't train you for this!"

"If not for this, then for what? People are suffering, Master! They're afraid! Why should I turn my back on them, when one man with courage could make a difference?"

"I don't see a man! I see a brokenhearted _boy _who's about to make stupid mistake. Idiot. If she was here right now, she'd beat you until you couldn't stand up!"

"Sis never laid a hand on me in anger!"

"So why don't you take example from her and not lay _your _hands on people in anger?"

"You'll not try to use her against me!"

"_Idiot_! Why can't you understand? Your one sword can't stop the New People from coming any more than it can stop the waves from crashing against the land! You can't drive them away!"

"They aren't here to live peacefully! They're here to slaughter, butcher and enslave people! I have to help!"

So then this circular argument went until the sun hung low in the sky, and both Brothers of Dragons seemed to give up on each other. Hiko, with angry steps returned to his cabin on the hill at the other end of the village.

And Kenshin led his horse away, abandoning his own cabin. No one ever moved into that cabin after he left. Some, because they hoped he would come back, but most others because there was no one who could bear the reminder that they were both gone, and had taken their light with them.


	2. Across Then and Now

2  
Across Then and Now

Kenshin was seven years old when he wandered out much further than he should have. His sister warned him about certain places where it was dangerous to go.

But it wasn't his intention to disobey. He'd made a log raft the summer before that was still strong and steady into the next summer, but he'd let it drift as it wanted to for far too long, and it had carried him down a branch and got stuck in sudden mire where the branch had become clogged with fallen trees covered with slimy gunk.

The boy had made his way out of the mire and pushed through willow thickets, hampered by the constant necessity to watch for bears and big cats and snakes. And then, just as suddenly as that mire had appeared, the woods fell away into firm, dry grassland. It was rich, arable land, just the kind that New People often sought out since the majority of them lived by farming and growing their food from the ground or raising livestock rather than hunting or foraging for what grew by itself in the wild. That might be why Sister said these places were dangerous, because of the possibility of New People. Yet this place low on the hills was not at all homesteaded, not even by their own people.

Curious, he wandered a little further out, not accustomed to so much wide-open space, until he rounded an alder clump and came face-to-face with the most blood-chilling sight he'd seen in his young life. The sun-bleached bones of a dragon, upright and in full gallop!

At first, the sight was such a shock that he froze for a moment, deer-style, face and limbs feeling cold, like all the blood had drained from him. Several seconds passed with his heart pounding in his ears, but with the time he realized the skeleton was not moving. Or rather, it was the wind passing over and through the bones that rattled and swayed them in gentle rhythm, giving an illusion of animation.

Fear fled, leaving behind curiosity. He moved closer, now able to see the deceased dragon had been impaled on long wooden spikes, either before or after he or she had died. The dragon had also not been very old, a half-grown one. He squinted, carefully circling the bones, trying to determine whether he or she had been a fur drake or an armor drake when to his horror anew he saw dozens of similar skeletons. Most were likewise propped up on spikes, though a few had fallen apart, heavy skulls with long, naked teeth glinting at him from the high grass. Most, though not quite all, of the dragons were in Purest Form. Some were in their halfway forms, sapient skeletons sporting horns or the remnants of the light bones that had made up with wings, sharpened spikes thrust cruelly through ribcages, breaking through skulls, tatters and strips that had once been clothing rasping against the dry bones in the breeze.

Then, there was his last discovery: each and every dragon in this unburied graveyard was a crystal drake.

The bones at their joints, at their knuckles and wrists and ankles, at the linkage of their wings and the crests of their skulls, were dulled crystallized bone, some with protective, carven runes that didn't look like they had done much good, not here…

He stood a moment, stricken without understanding why. He looked in vain for another dragon, a full-blooded fur drake or armor drake, but there were none. Nor any humans. All these dead, they were half-breeds. Half fur, half armor. Like his sister.

His hands clenched. New People, he thought, anger clenching in his gut for a moment, then relaxing away again as logic came in to play. When, he wondered, could the New People have come here and staked all these dragons without his people knowing about it? And where had they found such a concentration of half-breeds, whose births were forcefully discouraged by his people? It didn't at all make sense…

No fresh bodies had been brought out here in some time, but… It didn't seem right that they weren't properly laid to rest. He thought they ought to be buried. All these dragons, though, it was a huge job, and it would take time. Time he didn't have before his sister began to worry. Before she went looking for him, if she was able to follow his scent into the creek and down the branch, and into an area where he had clearly been forbidden to go?

Kenshin glanced up at the sun and sighed heavily. Twenty minutes later, after he had found a sturdy, wide piece of wood among the trees, he was digging as best he could into the loamy soil near the smallest dragon. Perhaps he could bury one today, and come back again and again until he had made sure all of the unfortunate crystal drakes were honored with proper graves.

But it took much longer than he could have hoped to dig a hole big enough even for this youngest drake. He wished mightily for a proper shovel, would definitely remember to bring one along when he came back…

Midday came far too soon…and he was late. Very and truly late. Sister would be anxious by now, maybe pacing by the side of the creek where his scent wouldn't be easy to follow, or maybe she had found it again when he turned down the branch into the mire. He wondered if she would be angry. He had never seen her angry at him. At others, yes. White-lipped, silent anger at the old-fashioned who condemned her existence as a crossbreed, furious anger that came with a lost temper at times, like when she'd broken Hiko Seijuro's own sake jug over his head during one of their capricious arguments.

Kenshin couldn't help but smile at that particular memory, of Hiko's stunned face, soaked with sake and little broken pieces of clay in his hair. After that, the two of them didn't speak to each other for three whole seasons before the silence was eventually broken by another argument that winter.

Kenshin had only been five at the time of their long silence, and not able to get clear answers from his sister, he went to the wise old fur drake Mareo, with his questions of just why the two of them hated each other so.

The wrinkly old dragon woman had paused, pressed a finger against her lips in thought for a moment before a look of lazy amusement crossed her features. "Well, Little Pup, did you ever consider that maybe the reason that the young crystal drake and the young master of our village don't truly hate, but instead _like _each other?"

The young boy had only gaped at the elder dragon, who had shuffled away with a sway of long white hair, laughing softly at her idea. An idea that was unfathomable to Kenshin. How could two people who very obviously hated each other in truth like each other? If the words hadn't come from the mouth of a dragon, who couldn't tell a falsehood, Kenshin would have thought it completely ridiculous.

He pressed such confusing matters of life out of his mind now, and tried to hasten through the task at hand. He was determined to at least bury this small dragon before he either had to return home or he was found out here in forbidden land.

When at last the hole he was digging seemed large enough, he looked the skeleton over. The small dragon had been roughly the size of a sturdy pony when he or she had died, and the bones were thick and solid still. Kenshin began to loosen the dirt around the spikes that held the remains in place. This way, he was able to push the middle spike with all his weight, and the skeleton toppled with a dry, crashing clattering into his hole.

Heart thudding, he apologized softly as the dirt settled, hurriedly looking the bones over. But none were shattered, nothing seemed out of place. He did his best to shift the bones into what looked to be a more comfortable position in which to spend eternity, then clamored out and began shifting dirt into the grave as quickly as he possibly could. Then he cast about for something to mark the grave. He had to get home soon. His sister would--

Footsteps behind him. Kenshin jumped and whirled, dirt falling flaking off him in the movement.

He had fully and completely expected to see his sister there. Her short, stocky form bearing down on him with short-legged step. Instead he saw the imposing figure of Hiko Seijuro with his long, purposeful strides.

Kenshin waited, not knowing what to expect. Hiko reached the boy's side, blinked twice at the huge mound of dirt. Then the swordsman lifted a hand and pointed at a towering skeleton several times the size of the child-dragon Kenshin had just buried and asked, "Did you plan to bury him also?"

Kenshin nodded slowly. "If I had to, I would take him to his grave in pieces and lay them as well as I could together in the hole."

Hiko looked down on him thoughtfully. "Your sister was nearly in tears with worry when I left her," he said.

His words had a offhand tone to them, information given without really being what was on his mind. Nonetheless, Kenshin was flooded with guilt. He had never meant to make her worry so…

Hiko turned, cape catching on the wind. "Let's go."

Kenshin followed him, trying to dust his clothes as he walked.

"You were never meant to lay eyes on this place," Hiko said. Then, after a moment, added, "Nor was I. Until I tracked you here, I had no idea where this place was."

"What _is _this place?" the boy asked softly, more of that cold feeling coming back with the ominous tones of the master's words.

"This is where they keep the half-breed dead." Hiko stopped walking, half-turned to look back where the uprighted skeletons stood in their forlorn rows.

Kenshin turned too, but it was to look back on the scene with a new understanding. A terrible repulsing understanding. "Where…where our people keep…?"

Hiko nodded.

Kenshin stared at the desiccated bones another moment before he tore his eyes away to stare up at Hiko. "But, _why_?"

Hiko shrugged, but there was no nonchalance in the movement, the mannerism more to say that he, too, lacked full understanding. "Why aren't they buried in the ground, set to rest in cleansing stone, or set to fire by their loved ones in ceremony and honor like the others, like the full-blooded? Because they're half-breeds."

That was wrong. So wrong it made the boy's insides twist. "They can't help how they were born," he said.

"But their parents might have," Hiko said quietly. "You must understand, hybrids are weak. Because fur drakes and armor drakes have opposing abilities, they are canceled out in mixed offspring. Your dragon sister has wings, but she can't fly because the wings are covered with fur instead of feathers. Your sister takes ill every winter and can become frail of health because her blood is weak."

"My sister is not weak," Kenshin said. He surprised himself by not becoming angry. Indeed, there was no reason to be angered by Hiko's words because _that _was the truth. She wasn't weak. "She's one of the best warriors and hunters in our village." He hesitated before adding, "You almost don't beat her when you fight."

Hiko half-smiled, eyes still lingering on the sad forms of the old bones. "She is more a human than a dragon in some ways. As a human, she is strong. As a dragon, she is weak. Half-breeds are dishonored from birth. Never allowed names, rights of passage, milestones of age, disallowed mates on pain of death, sometimes cast out as soon as they are able to fend for themselves…and then, finally, this last dishonor… All of them, left up a reminder. A reminder to the young who would fall in love with one who is not his or her kind of the pain their children will know. I know you still don't understand, but it used to be very important that the bloodlines stayed pure. You see, if the blood was allowed to mix so freely, eventually dragons would begin to loose many of their strengths. They had to be discouraged."

"My sister," Kenshin said, "will never end up here. It will not be allowed. Never."

Hiko's eyes left the sad necropolis and looked on the boy, again with that thoughtful expression. "No," Hiko agreed. "Times have…changed. The coming of the New People and their ways, every dragon child is precious. Your sister, while still unnamed, is more honored than hybrids of the past. Since she took more after a fur drake than an armor drake, she will be encouraged to marry another fur drake, with the hope that purity will eventually be bred back into her line. And since she has family, a brother, you, it will be you who decides what becomes of her remains if she dies before you."

They began to walk again, Kenshin turning over what he just learned in his head. "I still want to bury them."

Hiko surprised him by saying, "I'll help you."

They crossed the branch by stepping on Kenshin's raft, walking at a brisk pace toward the village in silence. "Kenshin," Hiko said softly, just as the first few old cabins appeared within sight through the trees. "I don't yet know if _she _will allow it…" Hiko trailed off, pensive expression still in place as he looked down on this small boy whose head barely topped his knee. "But, I think it is to you that I will pass on my greatest knowledge."

* * *

The old memory began to fade away from Kenshin in his brief doze. He tried to pin down the last of the memory, take refuge in its sharpness, but it slid away from him as harsh reality took its place.

The nights were dark here, but none too quiet. There were snores around him, the rattling of chains as bodies shifted, trying to gain more comfortable positions.

It felt like a very, very long time since he had been seven years old. Maybe it was, depending on one's point of view. Twenty-one years since he had been that child, trying to bring rest to any debased souls lingering atop the wooden stakes in that terrible graveyard.

And fourteen years since he had seen that master who, for several days after that, went out with him back to that forbidden place with shovels and helped him dig proper graves for each crystal drake, and then soon after began his lessons with the sword. Incredibly, his sister hadn't even been very hard to persuade…

Sis…

Kenshin closed his eyes, even if he couldn't see much in the dark anyway. Recalling his big sister's warm, honeysuckle scent…remembering the way he used to rest with his head on her knee, listening to her hum or rumble a fur drake purr from deep in her chest as she sewed…

He sighed as this memory, too, slid away. It was becoming more and more unreasonable to expect childhood memories to comfort him.

He sat huddled against a tree, hands shackled behind his back, irons on his legs chained to those of the man next to him. He pressed away thoughts of home, and instead thought of how he had come to be in this situation.

He sighed, a little bitterly as he reflected on how he was finally going to return to them when he'd been caught off-guard by a band of New People. They'd shot him once in the back, and once in the leg, but he'd taken quite a few down before he went down himself.

If they knew exactly who he was, they may not have been quite so willing to let him live as they were now. His accent, animal skin clothing and unfailing dignity marked him as a 'dragoner', their brilliant little term for men who lived with dragons, and a "Wild Boy", yet another worthy title marking him as one who lived in the higher lands, and that was reason enough for this enslavement, even if it was among convicts of their own people.

They made even their own to suffer.

He was very fortunate not to be recognized this far south, because according to the New People's laws, trespassing on someone's land and killing a few of the field hands attempting to detain him just for being a Wild Boy, was worth only two years of his life at hard labor. He'd had to spend a month of this in prison while his back and leg healed, and there he could feel his soul slowly dying, withering like a flower deprived of the sun as each day behind bars seemed darker and longer than the last.

Kenshin watched darkness, aware of a lone wolf somewhere in those shadows. Fortitude was a virtue he now stood most in need of. Living in chains, treated like beast, whipped and abused by Enemies, he had called on every ounce of self-control he possessed. True, being on the road gang was better than languishing in prison. Here, at least, he could breathe in the cool, clean air, see the mountains, smell the earth and trees. And still, to see the hills and not be able to run their wooded slopes, to breathe the scent of the earth while chains rattled at his feet, seemed the worst torture of all.

He shifted the weight of the heavy irons on his hands. When his captors had first locked the cumbersome shackles on in place, every fiber of his being struggled like a fox caught in a trap at this shaming burden. Now, these long months later, the weight was as familiar as the color of his own skin.

One of the prisoners was crying in his sleep. The incarcerated New People sold their pride to avoid the whip, cowered at any threat. They hated Kenshin because he didn't. They ignored, distrusted him because he was a Wild Boy, but openly _hated _him because he refused to grovel as they did, because he was able to hold onto his pride.

He closed his eyes. He had seen a girl on the hillside today.

It surprised him that he remembered her. He was chained into a line of a road gang. He felled trees, hauled logs and rocks and dirt away to build the New People's road. Sometimes people came and went on either side of the hill. Some stopped to watch, glad they weren't the ones laboring under the whip.

But this girl had been different. The first thing he noticed about her was the way she tried to hide behind trees on the slope, peering down with huge, curious sapphire eyes. Her hair was damp, he noticed also, and the kimono she wore was very old and a size too big for her, shapeless and an ugly faded blue that somehow did absolutely nothing to diminish the comeliness of the girl herself, though it did make her wonder if she was homeless or an orphan or some such that would make her unable to clothe herself better.

There were little trebles of birdsong somewhere in the dark. Once a pleasant sound, Kenshin now couldn't disassociate it with the heralding of a new day of relentless work on the road. He was having a little trouble escaping, between his injuries, the chains, and the heavy guard, but an opportunity would present itself if he was patient.

That girl, though… Who was she? What was she doing now, this very moment?

He wondered, would she come again today?


	3. The Unloved

3  
The Unloved

There was a merciful wind blowing in her hair, a low little breeze that had come as if just to cool the smoldering emotions within her.

Kaoru was filthy. Dirt caked her knees and elbows. It was on her hands, and she could feel it under her fingernails. She looked at, and then past the twenty-four long rows of the vegetable garden she had just finished weeding and, not for the first time, seriously considered running away.

There was once a time, very long ago, that the thought might have filled her with guilt. There was once a time when she was young enough to be fooled by Aunt Urei and Uncle Shiji when they told her, as they often would, that there was nothing that she could really do, no amount of servitude or devotion that could ever repay them for adopting her from the orphanage, for giving her a place to live and feeding her from their table.

There was once a time when Kaoru believed that there were things for which to be grateful to them. The brothels and seamstress houses were full of girls like her, orphaned or abandoned in the world with few options for more honest and easier work.

So she had tried to love them. Truly, she did. She tried to look past her aunt's sharp tongue for hints of genuine kindness, worry for her welfare, or through Uncle Shiji's indifference and domineering to see any withheld fondness. But there seemed to be nothing beyond exactly what she saw and felt, day after day.

She could love the farm. The work was hard, unrelenting, and supplemented heavily with never-ending housework, but it was beautiful land, and a beautiful, endearing little home. It was in these, she could see results in her labors, and could feel appreciated, even if it was only in the health of the plants she looked after, in the affections of the stock she tended.

But…Again, _but_. For every good thing, there was something worse. For every moment of solace, there were a dozen harsh or bitter moments.

There was once a time when Kaoru would have traded a day's meals or the whole long length of her shining black hair for a smile or a word of thanks from her aunt or uncle.

She turned away, dusting her hands as she moved away from the garden.

What really kept her here was the simple truth that it wouldn't solve anything to run off. The land was wild and untamed but for spots and pockets of slowly expanding civilizations. A lone young woman with no money and nowhere to go could not get by in the world. She could end up in a far worse place than here.

She wanted a bath. There was laundry hanging up that needed to be taken down and ironed, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it as she was now.

Kaoru wandered in the direction of the lake. Her lake. The spot she loved the most in all her uncle's land. It was an enchanting spot, and usually a lonely one. It wasn't every day that she had enough leisurely time to enjoy a nice, cool swim, but there was time for it now, with her aunt and uncle off in town. They wouldn't be home for hours yet, enough time for her to wash away the grime from the garden and maybe…

She deliberately forced her thoughts from the road gang of convicts she had seen below the hill. No, it was just to the lake for her. A bath and a swim and a quick wash for her kimono, and then back to collect the dry laundry for the iron. A girl had no business near a prison road gang at all.

But that sounded far too much like her aunt for liking.

The water was wonderfully cold and enclosed within great towering shade trees. She was reluctant to leave. But she did still have so much work to do. Her kimono was quite damp when she put it on, but she didn't mind. It would help her keep cool when she went back to her chores.

It was time to head back, but…

The day before, she had seen there was a redheaded boy chained in with the other men.

She hesitated near the line of trees at the bottom of the hill, still listening to the dull whacks of axes and the noises of male effort floating to her on the wind.

Just a quick look, she promised herself. Just a quick look to see how the new road was coming… And she found herself climbing up the slope, and once again peering down at the chaos of activity below.

She spotted him easily, the redheaded boy…he stood out because he looked so different from the others. Such long hair, the pale skin. He was much smaller and slighter than the other men, but he also seemed fiercer and prouder, working with his body straight and his eyes met with the eyes of the road bosses. The chains weighing him down seemed things that were barely tolerated.

He was dressed oddly. His clothes were made up of deer skin, another thing which made him stand out since his clothing fit him closely among the loose-fitting gi and hakama.

Kaoru hated the road bosses. Strange though that was, since it stood to reason her ill-will should go to the prisoners, who wouldn't be there without reason. But the two men, riding with their whips in hand and guns loose in holsters wore such expressions of enjoyment as they dealt out "encouragement". The whips flicked out, and they flicked out often, dealing punishment on anyone who dared to slacken the pace. There was no reason for so much of their cruelty.

Her eyes were drawn back to the redhead. Kaoru couldn't help staring at him. His movements were full of uncanny grace, skill. There was muscle in his small, thin frame, and she felt her mouth go dry watching the rhythmic play of them in his arms and back and shoulders.

She flinched and bared her teeth in anger when the whip danced over the red-headed man's narrow back. His eyes burned with anger and pain as the lash drew blood, but he neither made a sound nor paused in his work.

The two mounted men whipped him more often than the other prisoners, hassled him more, the worst of their insults and crude innuendoes falling on him. She was unable to figure out why; he worked as hard and as fast as any of the other men.

As she watched, the prisoners were finally allowed a break to eat. Kaoru saw, heartsick with pity, that the road bosses refused to allow the red-haired man anything to eat or drink.

He said nothing, made no objections. He moved a little away from the other men and knelt in a shady spot, sitting back on his heels. His face was impassive, but his eyes were bright and cold with fury.

By chance, he glanced up the slope. Kaoru froze as their eyes met. His eyes softened, the lines of his face relaxing into a gentle smile, laced with sadness.

She was very late now. She would have to run all the way home and rush through her chores in order to make up for her dallying here. But she lingered a moment longer, smiling shyly at the young prisoner. On impulse, she raised a hand to wave.

He lifted one of his chained wrists, raising two fingers in an answering salute large enough for her to see at her distance from him, but small enough that it did not attract the notice of the other men.

Kaoru nodded once and then turned and ran for home.

She did indeed have to hurry like a madwoman through her duties, and by the end of them, she felt like her back would break in two and her knees were skinned and watery with fatigue, and there were blisters on the fingers of one hand after an accident heating the iron for the laundry.

But her aunt and uncle were none the wiser, and that was good.

That night, though, they were entertaining guests for dinner. Kaoru's aunt was an old and very bitter woman, but she was also very concerned with how she appeared in the small society of Iyo. The labors of her adoptive niece allowed time for her to go visiting and on social outings. Kaoru's presence in her home was a great show of selflessness, sacrifice, and kindness on Aunt Urei and Uncle Shiji's part; not everyone was willing to open their home to an orphan. This impression Urei was careful to cultivate.

The guests over for dinner this night, however, were two of the few who had known this mismatched family intimately enough to know better.

Miki and his wife Nara owned a general store in town. They were both reserved and friendly. Nara did most of the talking; Miki always said little. But he had very expressive eyes that took in what was around him and reflected back his thoughts more plainly than if he had spoke them out.

Such as now, Kaoru could see the pinched corners of Miki's eyes as he listened to her uncle speak of the new road being carved out near the ridge, only a stone's throw away from his own farm.

"That road'll come in handy," Shiji drawled, slurping his tea. "And at no cost to us!"

He patted his pockets, obviously pleased the work was being done with no taxes or donations collected from the town to pay the workers.

Nara's mouth thinned slightly. "It's not right to force those men to work. They're criminals, but they're not _slaves_."

Shiji waved a hand in dismissal. "Probably some volunteered, Nara-san. To get some sunlight and fresh air. Good for 'em too. More useful like this than just sitting around in cells eating free food and growing old."

Kaoru set down her chopsticks, folding her hands absently in her lap. Her hands wouldn't stay still, though, fingers twisting together. She couldn't imagine him, the red-haired young man, volunteering to be chained up and worked mercilessly under the lash like that. No, she was fairly certain that this was forced on him, part of his punishment.

And what could he had possibly done to deserve this?

"Girl!" Kaoru started, jerked from her thoughts by her aunt's sharp voice. "Sit up straight and give your attention to our guests."

Cheeks aflame, Kaoru straightened her back and inclined her head in apology to Nara, who shook her head subtly in exasperation with Urei, whose interruption with the admonishment had been far more distracting than Kaoru's attention wandering.

This was Urei's way, trying to make her look foolish whenever they had company. But Nara and Miki were old acquaintances and had seen it done time and again.

Uncle Shiji grew bored with the topic of the road and the conversation turned to more pleasant things. He and Urei saw their guests out after a sweet desert, and of course it was Kaoru who began to clear away and prepare to see to the dishes.

Arms laden with their tea cups and leftovers, Kaoru glanced out the kitchen window. It was getting darker, and she hoped the men on the road gang had long since been allowed to stop and were eating their own suppers now.

And she hoped they had fed the red-haired man this time.


	4. Wild Boy

4  
Wild Boy

Kaoru tried to keep a cheerful thought as she carefully washed her aunt's favorite navy blue kimono, but she was so weary. She had always hating laundry more than anything else, and now she had to do every single item over again because Aunt Urei had been displeased with the way Kaoru had washed one of Uncle Shiji's shirts.

It was so hot, and she longed for a swim at the lake.

Thinking of the lake brought the red-headed man to mind, and she wondered if he was still there and what he was doing. Did he hate felling trees and moving rocks as much as she hated washing clothes?

She could hear her aunt chatting with a neighbor. Kaoru slammed the wash onto the board, her movements quick and angry as she squeezed water from the fabric. Aunt Urei always had time to visit with her friends because Kaoru did most of the housework and all of the washing, ironing, mending, and gardening. About the only thing that Urei ever did was cook dinner, and that was because no amount of punishment could improve Kaoru's miserable attempts at making edible meals.

After the washing was finished for the second time and drying on the line, she wandered into the house to see what else her aunt wanted her to do, and found the guest was Nara, sitting with Aunt Urei smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Kaoru. We haven't seen you in town much of late."

"No, Ma'am," Kaoru said.

"You should try to get in more often, dear. There's going to be a fair within the next day or two. My husband and I are going to attend. Could we pick you up, maybe the day after tomorrow?"

Kaoru glanced at her aunt.

"If Kaoru decides to go, her uncle will take her," Urei said. She frowned at her adoptive niece over the rim of her cup. "We'll discuss it later. Why don't you take O-Tsuyu to the lake and give him a bath? I think you've done most of the inside chores for today."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kaoru answered, carefully measuring out false meekness that would keep her aunt in good humor. She bowed politely to their guest, pasted a stiff smile on her face, and left the room.

It would be wonderful to go to a fair, to meet and talk with people her own age. To wear nice clothes for a change, arrange her hair in a more becoming style, listen to music. Fun.

Fun, a dear and missed tickle in her belly, lightness in her heart, laughter in her throat.

But there was to be no visits to the fair for Kaoru. Instead, it was to the lake to bathe O-Tsuyu. She had never been very fond of her aunt's dog. A huge beast, a male dog with a feminine name Aunt Urei had chosen for whatever reason, the mongrel had long hair that had to be painstakingly brushed after he was bathed.

But, Kaoru thought, brightening, it would give her a chance to go for a swim.

Leaving her sandals and tabi where her aunt couldn't see and object, Kaoru called the dog and ran off toward the lake. O-Tsuyu trotted at her side, his long pink tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. He was, Kaoru had long ago decided, perhaps the ugliest dog she had ever seen.

By the time she had bathed him, she was soaked to the skin, but she didn't care. The water was cool against the heat of the day, and after tying the dog to a tree where he couldn't roll in the dirt, she slipped out of her clothes and went for a leisurely swim. By the time she stepped from the lake and redressed, the dog was asleep, legs twitching in his dreams.

She hesitated yet again, looking out over the lake. She was here. Close to where the prisoners worked. Her heart fluttered a little, but surely another quick look would hurt nothing?

Her indecision only lasted another moment and she found herself making her way toward the hill, stepping from tree to tree so she wouldn't be seen as she made her way down the slope.

She spotted he red-headed man immediately, saw as he wrestled with the stump of a tree, trying to dislodge its bond with the earth. His thin shoulders and slender arms were taut with the strain, his build so slim, but well-defined. Sweat coursed down his bare back, and Kaoru found herself a little short of breath as she watched him.

His eyes were closed in concentration as he summoned his strength, and she marveled at the beauty of his profile, held her breath as he gave a mighty shove that belied his slight form, and felt like cheering as the tree stump toppled sideways to the ground, its roots splayed out with clumps of earth flying.

For a moment, the man stood there, breathing heavily, his arms hanging at his sides, legs slightly spread.

One of the road bosses called for a rest break and passed among the prisoners carrying a bucket of water. Kaoru frowned when he passed right by the red-haired man without giving him a chance to drink.

She sat there for a long while, forgetful of the time. In spite of his suffering, he was such a joy to watch. His every movement was graceful, beautiful to behold. She marveled at his endurance, at the sight of naked male flesh. Just looking at him filled her with feelings she had never known and couldn't identify, strange and pleasant sensations that fluttered in the pit of her stomach and made her heart beat fast. She saw him gaze into the distance, saw the longing that flared in his beautiful violet eyes as he stared at the faraway mountains. Intuitively, she knew he was thinking of home.

The second road boss herded the other prisoners farther up the road, disappearing from sight around the bend. The first boss fastened a short length of chain to the iron cuff around the redheaded man's left ankle, securing the other end to one of the heavy, iron-rimmed wagon wheels. Then he moved out of the shorter man's reach and tossed a hand saw on the ground at his feet and gestured at a large stack of logs, obviously wanting him to cut the pile. The redhead didn't speak, only stared at him for a long moment before he stooped and picked up the saw.

Kaoru found herself wishing it was possible for him to use the saw to remove the wheel from the wagon and maybe try to make a run for it, but she could see the foolishness of the idea. He wouldn't get far with his feet shackled and dragging a wheel that weighed close to a hundred pounds.

Watching him, Kaoru found herself yet again admiring his easy strength and economy of movement, the play of muscle and sinew beneath his smooth skin. Twice, he paused, his eyes lingering on the water bucket that hung from the tailgate just out of reach.

Before she knew what she was doing, Kaoru slipped out of her hiding place and ran down the hill, darted across the road toward the wagon, and scooped a dipper full of water from the bucket.

She started toward the man, footsteps slowing as she felt the full force of his gaze on her face. His eyes, large and beautiful as they were, were widened further in mild surprise. Pausing in mid-stride, she held the dipper out toward him.

"Water," she said. "Would…would you like a drink?"

He nodded warily, and she wondered if maybe he thought she was teasing him.

Squaring her shoulders she stepped forward and stopped again. Seen up close, the man seemed so strange and wild, and had the most intense, piercing eyes she had ever seen on anyone. She felt a little jolt of fear of him, sudden and unexpected. "You won't hurt me, will you?" she asked softly. Perhaps it was, again, those eyes, so much more alive and aware than any others she had ever met with her own, that made her believe that his answers would be honest ones.

The man shook his head and Kaoru wondered if he could speak. She had never heard him say anything or seen him talk to anyone, but he obviously understood. Still, she remained where she was, wondering how she could hand him the dipper without getting any closer.

Her eyes met his and she felt a quick heat suffuse her from head to foot. Almost, she changed her mind, but then she saw him swallow, saw his tongue slide over dry, cracked lips, and she knew she could not refuse to let him quench his thirst.

He didn't move as she slowly closed the remaining distance between them. Perhaps he sensed her fear because he, too, moved slowly, as if to avoid startling her, He reached out and took the dipper from her hand, and emptied ladle of its contents in two long swallows. He closed his eyes as he drank. Kaoru knew the feeling well, the mercy of cool water on the throat and lips in this unforgiving heat.

"Would you like more?" Kaoru asked, her eyes intent on his face. How beautiful he was… Her stomach fluttered as he licked the last drops of water from his lips. "More?" she asked again, her voice coming out a little deeper.

He nodded and gave back the dipper. His fingertips brushed her hand and for the space of a heartbeat they stared at each other. Kaoru was the first to look away. Her whole hand seemed to be on fire from his touch, and she was hardly aware of walking toward the bucket and refilling the dipper.

She offered him the ladle a second time, her mind whirling with his nearness, her eyes never leaving his face. How could a man be so beautiful?

At last he spoke. "Thank you," he said, voice low and smooth and as pleasant as anything else about him she had observed.

"You're welcome," Kaoru replied softly.

He smiled again at her, the same sad and gentle one she had seen before from the slope.

The slope… Time! She was late again, she realized in dismay. Abruptly she spun around and dashed toward the wagon. She thrust the dipper in the bucket where she had found it and ran back up the hill and back to where she had left the dog.

O-Tsuyu's tail thumped the ground as she fell to her knees beneath the tree. She glanced up at the sun, groaning. She had been gone for so long and the dog wasn't even groomed yet. Aunt Urei would be furious. Working quickly, she began to brush the dog's thick coat, tears of frustration welling in her eyes when the beast refused to stand still.

Her aunt was waiting for he on the porch, face stony and eyes blazing. "Where have you been, young lady?"

"The…the lake," Kaoru said.

"It does _not _take over two hours to bathe O-Tsuyu. Kaoru, I have not been pleased with your attitude or your performance as of late. If you don't mend your ways, I'll be forced to punish you."

Kaoru felt cold. She had been whipped several times by her aunt. Times when a dish was accidentally broken, for impudence, for forgetfulness.

The cold became anger, and then the anger evaporated as the unbidden memory of the redheaded boy's gentle smile rose in her mind. The smile…it was calming to her, but more than that… She would not be able to sneak glimpses of him--guilty as the idea made her feel--if she was locked in her room as additional punishment.

"I'm sorry, Aunt. I'll do better," she said in a tone of promise, eyes on her bare feet.

"See that you do. Hurry up inside. It's time for dinner."

"Yes'm."

Kaoru was especially cautious at dinner that evening. She sat up straight, took small bites, chewed thoroughly, and kept her eyes on her food. Her aunt was especially attentive, which meant that Urei was looking for an excuse to whip her. Kaoru would have to tread with care in the future.

* * *

Kenshin stared up at the sky, too weary to sleep. Instead, he thought of the girl… He saw her on the hill almost every day for over two weeks. He enjoyed seeing her, since she was a spot of brightness and innocence that had been missing from his existence for far too long, but he couldn't help but wonder what she found so fascinating about watching a man in chains toiling in the hot sun. Surely a beautiful young girl had better things to do than hide behind a tree spying on a bunch of shackled men?

And yet, unaccountably, it pleased him to know she was there. She was the first New Person to show him any degree of kindness. It had taken courage for her to help him. Likely she would have incurred scorn and derision from her people for giving water to him. She could have been punished for it. And yet, there was steel beneath the velvet skin and soft-spoken words. He admired that most of all.

* * *

Kaoru hastened through her afternoon chores, then ran to the hill. She could spare only a few minutes today, but she had to see him, had to known he was still there and that the road bosses had not harmed him too badly.

She couldn't explain it, how he had become so important to her. He simply was. From a tree, Kaoru watched him labor. She saw the lash bite into his back, saw him wince though he never uttered a word of protest or a cry of pain. She saw great rage in his eyes when he looked at the two men that tormented him, and she wondered how he had learned to keep such a tight control of his temper.

It dawned on her that they abused him more than the other convicts because they feared him. Like her, they sensed the power sleeping beneath his passive façade.

Occasionally, Kaoru saw him glance up the hill. Was he thinking of her, looking for her? Were his dreams haunted with her image as hers were haunted with his?

Nightly, his gentle features rose up before her, his eyes brilliant and strangely compelling, calling to her in ways that she didn't understand. She woke from such dreams feeling slightly breathless, her skin damp with sweat, face flushed like she was fevered…and she felt curiously empty inside.

One night this emptiness had moved her to slip from her bed and touch a match to her candle, and she had stood before the small, cracked mirror that hung on the wall. She studied her face, wishing she were older and wiser in the ways of men. Wishing her aunt had not so denied her this education.

And then, feeling unexplainably guilty, she had blown out the candle and crawled back into bed, only to lie awake thinking of him.

She stayed in her hiding place a moment longer, hating to leave, yet unable to remain. He had not managed to glance the right way this day, and couldn't spare his eyes from his work for the moment she needed to get his attention, but it was all right. She would try again tomorrow.

The knowledge that he was still nearby filled her with a sense of peace.

There was once a time when Aunt Urei and Uncle Shiji went into town for supplies, the fact that they never invited Kaoru to accompany them would have filled her with anger and regret. But not anymore. A glimpse of the town was no longer as important as it had been. As soon as her adoptive aunt and uncle were out of sight, she raced to the hill.

There had been a time when she had spent every moment she could spare at the lake, or in her secret corner of the loft with a book, but neither cool water nor written word held any appeal for her now. Not when she could see him. Her friend, to whom she barely spoken a few words. A friend whose name she wished she knew.

Kaoru heard the sound of the whip as she crested the hill. Her steps faltered, dread filled her.

Somehow she knew…she knew, before she came to a point she could see.

"Not him," she whispered all the same, quickening her steps. She didn't like the idea of any of those men being punished under the road bosses predictable cruelty, but most of all him. "Please, not him."

The words were a prayer for mercy, a softly uttered plea that died as they left her lips when she crept down the brush-covered slope, darting from tree to tree until she could see what was happening.

His arms were shackled to a stout limb high above his head. His feet barely touched the ground. The road boss was whipping the red-haired boy with steady precision, the lash rising and falling in a neat arc to land with cruel force. The smaller man's entire back was bloody.

Her top and bottom teeth warred with one another and Kaoru closed her eyes, clenching her fists. Her fingernails dug into her palms. The whip fell again, the sound of the lash as insidious and brutal as the sight of it slithering through the air to slice through flesh. She shuddered with each blow, her eyes filling with tears. She had received many whippings from her aunt, but this was vastly different. Her aunt never intended to kill her, but it was possible _he _might not survive such a beating.

A sob rose in her throat as the whip cracked through the air again and again. The effort to remain where she was and not run from her hiding place and down the slope to stop them was becoming unbearable. She knew she couldn't help, but she couldn't bear the pain she knew he was in. Memories of her own superficial whippings mingled with this moment, and her tears fell unchecked. A time that seemed like years passed before there was finally silence.

Taking a deep breath, Kaoru opened her eyes and peered down the hill. The young man's head had fallen forward. His slender body was limp and she knew he would have collapsed but for the heavy iron shackles that bound his arms to the tree.

When one of the road bosses started to release the prisoner, the other one shook his head.

"Leave him. Maybe it'll teach him a lesson he won't soon forget."

The other nodded. Swinging aboard their horses, the two men marched the rest of the prisoners down he road and around the bend that was too narrow to allow them to move their wagon closer to the day's work site.

* * *

Kenshin grit his teeth. His whole body felt as though it was on fire and he felt himself teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

It was a stupid thing to do. He knew it before it happened. He knew it when it was happening. He _really _knew it after it happened.

He had endured the vindictiveness and mockery of the two Enemies, knowing that to fight back was to invite just such a whipping. It had been no difficulty guarding his tongue and keeping to himself since those things had come naturally to him. But today…

He closed his eyes, leaning toward the darkness that hovered around him.

The sound of a voice drew him back from the edge. A voice that was kind and soft and concerned. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find _her _standing before him. He gazed at her through a red haze of pain. Was she real, or has his own imagination found a way to torment him with the image of this little creature of mercy?

Her face was close to his, eyes full of pity and concern. He licked dry lips, unable to speak for the terrible pain in his back and shoulders and awful dryness in his throat.

She understood. Quickly, she went to the wagon and filled the dipper with water, came back as quickly as she could without spilling, and then lifted the big wooden ladle to his lips. He kept his eyes on her, watching the tears welling up in her eyes as he drank. She refilled the dipper again, and then a third time, and the cold water revived him. She was real, this angel who had come to help him back from the dark and show him such mercy.

She walked around him to get a closer look at his mutilated flesh. He felt her tremble, and Kenshin imagined there was a hardly an inch of his back that wasn't torn or bleeding or crisscrossed with ugly red welts.

"No," he admonished softly when she took out a cloth and started to wipe the blood from his back. "No, you must not."

With a nod, she drew her hand away. If she tended his wounds, they would know someone had been there to see him. "Why did they beat you?"

Kenshin smiled slightly, and without pride admitted, "I hit the one called Kamishi."

"Why?"

Kenshin shook his head ruefully. "I…" His face darkened with memory. "Well…today I just couldn't ignore them like any other day. My…my sister. They were telling me what they might do with my sister, if they had her here."

It was a fact, though, that Kamishi and his partner Shutaro had no idea if he had any sisters or brothers or a mother or father or any family at all. They were only fishing for things that would hurt and anger him, and they had found exactly the right mark by sheer chance.

"It was a foolish thing to do," he to her, his voice soft but not entirely regretful. He shrugged, grimacing as the move pulled on his torn back. "But when he called my sister a foul name, I hit him. And kept hitting him."

"Was it worth it?"

Kenshin grinned wryly. "I thought so at the time."

"And now?"

He considered her question seriously for a moment before he answered. He thought of the pain he was suffering, the renewed agony every time the whip cut into his back, and then he remembered how it had felt to strike the road boss, to lash out as his Enemy, to feel Kamishi's blood on his hands. "Once it happened, it had happened. I have no regrets."

"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" she asked after a short silence. She looked helplessly at her hands before meeting his eyes again. "Anything at all?"

Slowly, he shook his head, his eyes never leaving her face. Her kimono was still that ugly, shapeless thing too big for her, and he wondered what she looked like beneath the mess of it. Immediately he chided himself for such a thought. She was only a child!

"Are you hungry?"

He shook his head. His back was a constant throbbing pain that overshadowed anything else. And now his arms began to ache from being stretched over his head for so long.

"I'd help you if I could," she said, close to tears. "I wish there was something I could do for you."

"You're here," he said, softening his eyes at her, and, though a little surprised by how much he meant it, he added, "That is enough."

Her face brightened a little at his words, and Kenshin shifted his weight from one foot to the other, wincing as the slight movement sent new waves of pain darting across his back and shoulders.

"I've been here every day," she told him.

Kenshin nodded. "I've sensed your presence even when I couldn't see you."

"Really?"

He nodded again. "Why do you come here?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I…I just want to be near you."

Kenshin forgot the pain in his back and arms and shoulders as he looked into her brilliant sapphire eyes. Even when he was very small, he had felt and understood the collective pain of his people for what the New People did to their kind, to their dragons, and to the land itself. And then, as a young man the pain had grown into hatred for the death of Sis. He had fought long and hard, trying to shield others from the same powerful grief.

And now this beautiful child of the New People came, with such compassionate eyes. With only her presence she cheered him, lifted him from the black despair that had covered him like a death shroud.

She returned his gaze, and how long they stood this way, gazing into each other's eyes, he didn't know, but a sudden sound spooked her, and she turned and ran up the hill to avoid discovery.

They left Kenshin in shackles overnight. His back was a swollen mass of torn flesh and welts. Kamishi tossed a bucket of salt water over his back the night before, roughly wiped away the blood, then doused the raw wounds with sake.

Kenshin nearly passed out from the pain as the fiery liquid seared his open flesh. Kamishi had laughed as Kenshin had shuddered convulsively, and then doused the wounds a second time out of pure cussedness.

"Wouldn't want to see those stripes get infected," he had drawled.

Now it was late afternoon and Kenshin's arms were still shackled over his head. Blood trickled from his wrists as the iron cuffs cut into his flesh. Sweat ran down his arms and back and chest. Flies came to torment him. Thirst plagued him, worse than the hunger that gnawed at his belly.

Closing his eyes, he imagined the many ways he would kill his captors if he ever got the chance…

In an effort to forget the pain and his desires to kill, he summoned the girl's image to mind, concentrating on the brilliance of her eyes, and the shine of her hair…

He ignored the time that passed, so that when he gave his attention to the world around him again it was almost as if she might have heard him calling. He sensed her before he opened his eyes and saw her standing before him.

She smiled shyly as she lifted the dipper to his lips. He smiled back before taking the water. He tried to tell his heart that he shouldn't be so pleased to see her. His heart ignored him.

"I brought food," she said, holding up a basket she had brought with her. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded, pride only warring a little with his hunger as she held up bits of beef and fed it to him. The meat was rare and tender, better than anything he had tasted in months. When the meat was gone, she offered him more water and some bread.

When he had taken all of the food, she took a deep breath, then stepped around to look at his back.

"Is it bad?" he asked when she came around to face him again.

"Yes," she said, "but I don't think its infected. I hope not."

Again, he smiled at her, touched by the compassion he read in her eyes and heard in her voice. He found her to be a very sweet creature indeed. "What is your name?"

She smiled back. "Kaoru."

"I'm Kenshin."

"Ken-shin," she repeated, as if tasting his name on her tongue. "That's a very good name."

"As is yours. How old are you, Kaoru-dono?"

"Seventeen. How old are you?"

"I've turned twenty-eight this summer."

She nodded, glancing up at the sky with a frown. Regret on her face, she turned back to him and said, "I've been gone too long. I have to get back. I'll be back tomorrow," she promised. "Watch for me."

He nodded, his eyes following her until she was out of sight.

* * *

Kaoru felt a moment of apprehension as she reached the top of the hill the following afternoon. The gang was working around the bend in the road. She could hear the sound of their axes striking wood, could hear the bosses filling the air with curses as they drove the men to work harder, faster. But where was Kenshin?

Moving slowly down the hill, she wondered if he had died. Or if they had killed him out of hand because he was unable to work. Where was he?

She moved cautiously toward the wagon, refusing to believe he was gone. And then she saw him, sitting with his back against one of the big iron-rimmed wagon wheels, his hands shackled above his head. Someone had placed a bowl of water beside him, cruelly leaving the bowl where he could see it but couldn't reach it even if he had cared to lean down and drink from it like a dog.

He opened his eyes at the sound of her footsteps, a now-familiar warm smile spreading across his face at the sight of her.

"I was afraid they'd sent you way or…or killed you," she said kneeling beside him.

His smile faded. "Death might very well be welcome," he said softly.

"Don't say that, Kenshin," she chided him, offering the familiar old dipper once again. "Drink this. You'll feel better once you've had something to drink. And I've brought you something to eat."

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono. But, why?" he asked, voice filled with curiosity. "Why do you do this? Why don't you hate me?"

She paused in her movements, genuinely puzzled. "Why would I hate you? You've never done anything to me."

"Kaoru-dono, I am one of those your people call 'Wild'. I come from the drake people in the hills and mountains. We have been at war for several generations, your people and mine." He cocked his head, and his tone grew quiet and penitent. "We are raised to hate each other, are we not?"

Stunned, Kaoru stared at him with new eyes. He was one of the savage dragon people that lived with the fearsome, fire-breathing creatures that could take on human shapes and forms as they pleased?

She rolled the realization in her mind for a moment, and then she nodded slowly, and turned back to the task of feeding him. "You and I aren't at war, are we, Kenshin?"

Kenshin's smile was a fast one this time, full of relief. "You're very wise beyond your years, Kaoru-dono."

"No, I'm not. It's just that I…" She lowered her head, cheeks heating.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I can't stand to see you in pain." She cast an angry glance in the direction of the voices of the toiling men.

"You have a kind heart," he said gently. "I hope your loved ones treasure you."

Kaoru laughed bitterly. Oh, they treasured her all right, but not because of her heart. They valued her strong back and her capable hands, and nothing else. She wasn't a person to her aunt and uncle, merely a servant who exchanged labor for room and board. They didn't care how she felt or what she thought or what she dreamed of; they were only concerned with how much work she could do.

They both heard the sound of hoof beats at the same time. Kaoru scrambled to her feet. Grabbing her basket, she fled toward the hill in panic, reaching the foot of the heavily wooded slope as Kamishi rounded the bend in the road.

"Hey!" the road boss hollered. "You, Girl, what the hell are you doing here?"

Kaoru halted in her tracks, willing her heart to stop pounding as she turned to the face the man who had whipped Kenshin. He was a tall man, with lighter hair and most and not unhandsome. She guessed him to be, like Kenshin, in his late twenties.

"I live up the hill," Kaoru said, forcing her voice to remain calm. "I was going for a walk when I saw that red-headed man, and…I've never seen hair like his before, so I wanted to get a better look."

Kamishi's eyes narrowed as he studied her, and she suppressed the urge to shiver under his scrutiny.

"You'd best stay away from here," he said. "I'm sure your folks wouldn't like the idea of you hanging around scum like this."

"No, they wouldn't," Kaoru agreed quickly, widening her eyes and trying to look innocent.

Kamishi grinned. "But I won't tell them. No, Ma'am. Trust me. I won't say a word." He eyes moved to her mouth. "It'll cost you, though."

"What do you mean?"

He dismounted, walking toward her. "I'll let you buy my silence with a kiss."

"A kiss?"

"You know, a kiss."

"I've never kissed a man," Kaoru blurted. She backed away, face aflame from the idiocy of the statement.

"Never?" he asked, his voice interested and strangely pleased.

She shook her head, wondering if this was how a rabbit felt when facing a fox.

"I wouldn't mind at all being the first."

"I don't think so!" She meant to spit the words at him, but they came out strained and frightened. Unwilling to aggravate the situation further, she turned and dashed up the hill as fast as her legs would carry her.

She could hear the road boss laughing at her headlong flight as she crested the hill and ran for home.


	5. Damn the Rain

* * *

5  
Damn the Rain

Usually, Kaoru loved the rain.

Rain meant fewer chores and more time to herself. A sodden day as this might have found her curled up with a book, catching up on some sleep, or just lying around enjoying the rare and beautiful feeling of doing nothing.

But now, the rain meant that she couldn't see Kenshin.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about him being thirsty for once.

She sat with her head against the window glass, watching drops of water merge together. Kenshin…one of the Wild People who dwell with dragons in the higher lands. She never heard very many good stories about those kinds of people. Wild tales of them having strange powers, savage dispositions, archaic beliefs, and barbaric customs. No manners, no education, living with beasts. If Kenshin was anything to judge by, those tales couldn't possibly hold even a grain of truth. He was as intelligent as he was handsome. He had excellent manners. Maybe a little too excellent, calling her Kaoru-dono and such.

The rain lulling her, she closed her eyes. His image brushed her dreams. Violet eyes free of pain and unhappiness. No shackles hindered his steps or restricted his hands. He smiled at her, taking her in his arms…kissing her gently…

"Kaoru. Kaoru!"

Kaoru's eyes flew open. She blinked in confusion, a wave of disappointment flowing through her when she looked up to see not that red-headed angel of that guilty dream, but the sour face of her aunt.

"It's time to serve dinner," Aunt Urei said, looking especially irritable. "Straighten up and wash your face. Your uncle has brought a guest."

If Kaoru was unenthusiastic with the thought of yet another dinner guess, the lack was replaced with horror when she saw none other than the road boss Kamishi standing next to her uncle in the next room.

Kaoru was unable to say more than reflexive, polite phrases as her uncle introduced them, explaining that the young man had been out looking for his horses near their barn. They had been spooked by thunder.

Would he tell them that he had seen her at the new road?

Kamishi's eyes were laughing as they looked on Kaoru, a twinkling in them that seemed to say, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Out in the rain like that, the only thing there seemed to be to do was invite him in," Uncle Shiji said cheerfully.

"Of course," was Aunt Urei's dry reply. Evidently, she didn't think any more of the road boss than the prisoners he supervised.

Shiji glared at Urei from behind Kamishi's head, and Kaoru began to become nervous. She had a feeling it would not be a good thing if her uncle liked Kamishi. Not at all.

The feeling persisted throughout that uncomfortable dinner with the road boss as a guest, and it only got worse when Kenshin somehow found his way in as a conversation topic.

Uncle Shiji asked after the road, wanting to know how it was coming along and when it would be done and, curious, he wanted to know if the prisoners gave Kamishi and his partner much trouble.

Kamishi shrugged. "Most of the men on the road gang are short-timers. They don't cause us much trouble because they're afraid of picking up extra time for bad behavior. But we've got this one little guy down there who's full of sand. He's an ornery bas--" Kamishi glanced at Kaoru and his face reddened. "An ornery cuss," he corrected himself. "He acted up the other day and we had to discipline him."

"Of course," Uncle Shiji said, nodding. "You've got to maintain order."

Kaoru felt her mouth open, temper rising. She wanted to cry out that Kenshin had been taunted and harassed until he lost control of his temper, just as any man would. She wanted to point out the road bosses' vulgar and uncouth suggestions of Kenshin's sister, whom he obviously loved if the softness in his voice and his eyes when he spoke of her were anything to judge by. She also wanted to say the beating he received was far, far worse than he could have possibly have deserved.

She shut her mouth and glared at her food instead. Defending Kenshin now wouldn't help him and it would only bring trouble on herself.

Kamishi hung around after supper, to Kaoru's further irritation. He and her uncle sat together, each enjoying a pipe. Aunt Urei pleaded a headache and went to bed early, leaving her niece to clear up and wash the dishes.

She listened to them as she worked though, first to their companionable silence, and then to the tentative, "I…I know I've only just met your niece, Shiji-san, but I was wondering if you would mind if I came calling on her?"

Kaoru froze, held her breath lest she miss her uncle's response.

There was a long, ponderous pause before Uncle Shiji said, "I think it would be all right."

"Thank you, Sir. Would tomorrow night be too soon?" There was a smile in Kamishi's voice.

Kaoru dried her hands on a cloth, twisting the fabric in her hands as she heard her uncle chuckle. "Not at all. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of young love."

Somehow, she managed to put away all the dishes without breaking one. Her hands shook, though she didn't know if her fraying nerves were more from fear or from anger.

It didn't help how happy Shiji was when he told her--as if it were news--the next day. "You should be thankful this young man's come along," he said. "You don't want to be an old maid, do you?"

Kaoru stared at her adoptive uncle. She had tried to love him, had tried to win his approval, since the very day she had been brought into his home from the orphanage, but he had never displayed any sign of affection for her. And now… "Do you?" Uncle Shiji repeated.

"No, Sir," Kaoru whispered, stomach churning. Surely, surely, even if he didn't love her, her uncle wouldn't suggest that she respond to Kamishi's courtship? She'd rather spend the rest of her life slaving for Urei than marry a man like Kamishi.

She thought of Kenshin, beautiful and strong, at peace with himself in spite of circumstances that surrounded him. She knew somehow that he would never deliberately be cruel to another human being… And yet, as much as she cared for him, she knew she could never be his. He was a dragon-brother, a Wild Boy, someone whose people were a danger to her people. He was as far from her reach as the stars in the sky.

But he was the kind of man she would have wanted for a husband. Someone kind. Polite. Mindful of another's feelings. Never a man like Kamishi.

Aunt Urei, too, was less than enthusiastic at the thought of a road boss courting her niece. Kaoru knew that it was much more than the fact that Urei didn't think of Kamishi as a suitable match; it was that Urei was in absolutely no hurry to see Kaoru married off. Not when she had so much use for her here.

But Uncle Shiji, Kaoru could see, was pleased with Kamishi. The man might finally get that son he had always wanted.

And in the end, Uncle Shiji's word was law.

* * *

Kenshin huddled against the sodden hillside. He was cold and wet, and the thin blanket wrapped around his shoulders provided very little warmth and scant protection against the wind and rain.

As always when he was in need of comfort, he thought of his sister. Her smile. The softness of her cheek when she pressed it to his every time he came home safely from hunting. He remembered her hands, how they were stout and strong, with squarish fingernails rather than delicate, feminine, oval-shaped ones. Of her long, soft hair and the ribbons she used to braid into it.

And lately, he had also begun thinking of Kaoru, who had come to stay side by side with his sister in his mind. He had only to close his eyes to picture her, sitting warm before a fire, her face and hair bathed in the glow of the flames. He wondered if she ever thought of him as well…

He knew so little about her. All in all, they had probably spent less than two hours together. Yet she filled his thoughts and glided through his dreams. A smile touched his face as he remembered the way she had lifted food to his lips. Tentatively at first, afraid it would offend his dignity, having to be fed. Then she became more accustomed to it, making sure that he ate everything he wanted, with plenty of water to wash it down.

So sweet, she was. What was she doing now?

Kenshin peered into the rain-drenched darkness as he heard Kamishi return to camp.

Shutaro poked his head out of the back of the wagon. "Where did you find the horses?"

"There's a little place up the hill," Kamishi called back over the rain. "There's a family that lives up there. Nice people. Got a pretty niece named Kaoru." Kamishi grinned broadly over his shoulder as he saw to the horses. "I'm going to call on her tomorrow night."

His partner made a crude but appreciative exclamation, grinning.

Kenshin felt rage welling up in his chest as he watched Kamishi climb into the back of the wagon. Kaoru. Kamishi was courting Kaoru. Feelings such as he had never known suffused him, heating his blood so that he no longer felt the cold. Kamishi would be courting Kaoru.

It rained all the next day as well, but Kenshin was glad for the inactivity. He hated to fell the trees, didn't like building the road for the Enemies. It wasn't much better crouching in the mud hour after hour, but the rain was giving his back a chance to heal before he had to go back to work, and he knew better than not to be grateful for that.

After dinner, Kamishi got on his horse and rode up the hill. Kenshin's livid eyes followed him until he was out of sight.

* * *

Kaoru had never been so ill at ease in all her life.

She and Kamishi, under the watchful eyes of her aunt and uncle, had been making small talk. The only relief from this was when Aunt Urei served the tea, which almost made Kaoru faint in surprise. Her aunt never played hostess, preferring to sit and talk and leaving that particular role to her niece. There was no doubt that it would be Kaoru clearing up after the guest had gone, but, still, it was nice to have someone waiting on her for a change.

As always, the men found time to talk about the new road. Kamishi bragged about the progress. A good section of the trees had been cleared away now and the ground was reasonably level. Once a section of the hill had been disposed of, they would have almost half of the job complete.

"We'll be working on that hill tomorrow or the next day. It's a job well done, if I do say so myself."

Unable to hold her peace another moment, Kaoru snapped, "I don't see how you can take credit for it. You're not doing any of the work."

"Kaoru!" Uncle Shiji scowled dangerously, but she didn't care. She might care later, but right now, she simply didn't.

"It's true! The prisoners are doing all the work!"

"She's right," Kamishi said quickly. "The prisoners are doing the work." He smiled indulgently. "But you have to realize that the work wouldn't get done at all if my partner and I weren't there to supervise." He turned a charming smile on Aunt Urei. "This cake is wonderful, Ma'am. Would it be rude of me to ask for seconds?"

"It would not," Urei assured him, smiling as she moved to serve him. If she could have done so without drawing scowls from her aunt and uncle, Kaoru would have ran a hand down her face in frustration. It seemed her aunt was beginning to warm up to Kamishi as well. And why not? They were so much alike, the three of them.

God, what was she going to do?


	6. Ways of Courtship

6  
Ways of Courtship

Kaoru left off scrubbing the floor, attention drawn by the sound of an axe striking wood.

Frowning, she moved to the window and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Kenshin! He was chopping away at the big old tree that had loomed menacingly over the side of the barn for several years now.

Bouncing on her toes a moment in something akin to panic, Kaoru looked around wildly. She saw a bowl of scraps she had been saving for the chickens, grabbed it, and raced outside. Two days had passed since she had last seen him. The two longest days of her life.

Her steps slowed when she saw Kamishi, sitting in the shade of the tool shed, a rifle resting in the crook of his arm. He smiled when he saw her coming toward him, rising to his feet politely. "Good morning, Kaoru-san."

"Good morning. What are you going here?"

Kamishi nodded toward Kenshin. "Your uncle said he had a tree that needed cutting, and I thought I'd take care of it for him."

"_You'd_ take care of it?" Kaoru repeated dryly.

He shrugged, grinning at her. "Indirectly," he admitted.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got to give these scraps to the chickens," Kaoru said through very clenched teeth.

She thought curses toward Kamishi that she would never have felt on her tongue before. Not only was the self-absorbed bastard sucking up to her uncle while doing nothing more than cradling his rifle, of all the men that he had on that road gang, he chose the smallest, skinniest of them all to fell that huge tree?

Not that she would complain about this unexpected appearance of Kenshin at her very home, but still…

Kamishi nodded at her, his eyes sweeping over her in a most impudent way. Kaoru turned on her heel and walked toward the barn where two dozen chickens were scratching away at the dirt.

She called to them, tossing scraps on the ground, but her eyes were on Kenshin.

He had been working only a short time, but already he was sweating. The days were only getting hotter.

She quickly threw the last of the food to the chickens and hurried back inside. She poured two cups of water. The water from the well was cold, and she thought it would taste good to Kenshin right now.

Returning to the yard, she handed a cup to Kamishi, then started toward Kenshin with the other.

"Hey!" Kamishi called. "Where do you think you're going with that?"

"I'm going to give him something to drink. I'm sure he needs it more than you."

"He doesn't need it," Kamishi said curtly. "Drink it yourself, or better yet, give it to me."

"It's for him," Kaoru said, and chose to glare back at him for only a few short seconds before she turned and walked again toward Kenshin. Behind her, she heard Kamishi cock the gun.

"Here you go," she said to him, handing over the cup.

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono." His hand lingered on hers as he took the cup and she felt a sudden rush of heat as his eyes caressed her face.

He drank slowly, and she was glad, because it gave her excuse to be near him longer.

"Are they treating you all right?" she asked, her voice low so only he could hear.

"Well enough."

"Does your back still hurt?"

"A little." He took a step away from her and handed her the empty cup as Kamishi strode toward them.

"What's taking so long?" the road boss demanded.

"Nothing." Turning, she took hold of Kamishi's arm and steered him toward the house.

"Was he bothering you?"

"Of course not." Kaoru forced a smile. "Would you like another drink?"

"What I'd like is that kiss you owe me." Coming to a sudden stop, he yanked Kaoru to him and trapped her mouth with his, grinding against her teeth and his tongue seeking to penetrate her lips.

Kaoru shoved at him, revulsion swamping her mind. "Let go! Leave me alone!"

"Just one little kiss," he insisted. "You owe me, remember?"

"I don't owe you anything! Let me go!"

Then she felt herself being pulled from Kamishi's grasp. "Oh, no!" she cried as Kenshin barreled into Kamishi.

The road boss grunted as his shoulder slammed into a fence post. Hands laced together, Kenshin swung at Kamishi's chin, sending him reeling back.

"No!" Kaoru shouted when Kamishi brought his gun up, cocked and ready, murder in his eyes.

"What the hell's going on here?"

Kaoru whirled at the sound of her uncle's voice.

"Nothing, Shiji-san," Kamishi said quickly. "The Wild Boy attacked me and I had to hit him. He'll be all right."

"Attacked you?" Uncle Shiji grunted. "Wait a minute…_Wild Boy_?" His eyes swung to Kenshin, who stared back impassively in his heavy irons. "You means he's a dragoner?"

"Yeah."

"Why did he attack you?"

Kamishi shrugged. "He's a Wild Boy."

Uncle Shiji nodded. "Well, you best take him back down the hill. I don't want any trouble around here."

"There won't be any more trouble," Kamishi promised.

"Well, if you're sure--"

"I'm sure." Kamishi glared at Kenshin, then glanced at Kaoru, his eyes warning her not to say anything about what had happened between them.

Kaoru nodded imperceptibly. Kenshin would suffer for it if she told Shiji that Kamishi had laid hands on her.

Uncle Shiji looked from the road boss to his niece, brows knotting a bit. Then he shrugged and returned to the barn.

Kamishi jabbed his gun barrel into Kenshin's ribcage. "You ever lay a hand on me again, Wild Boy, and I'll blow your head off. Now, get back to work."

Kenshin didn't move. Kaoru held her breath. There was a terrible, dark fury in the Wild Boy's eyes.

She glanced at the axe he had been using. He had abandoned it by the tree, and she was very, very glad. A little confused, but glad. She had a feeling he knew better than she did that it would be a devastating weapon to use against a man Kenshin obviously despised…and yet, why had he thrown away the opportunity to use it?

She looked back to Kenshin to find him staring back at her. She watched, fascinated, as his eyes moved over her face again, the tension slowly drained out of his shoulders. With a small shrug, he turned and went back to where he'd dropped his axe. Picking it up, he began to chop at the tree again.

Kamishi muttered a curse, lowering the shotgun. Kaoru knew he had wanted Kenshin to give him an excuse to pull the trigger.

"Don't ever come calling on me again," Kaoru said, voice shaking with her anger. "I'll never be home if you do."

"Don't fight me, Kaoru-san," Kamishi warned. "I'm determined to have you." He turned to face her fully, his features serious. "I think your uncle likes me. I think your aunt is starting to as well. And I think you'll do whatever they say."

The words were true. Like a slap in the face, they were true. She would do whatever her aunt and uncle said. She had no choice. They were her guardians, and she had never had a choice but to do what she was told or suffer the consequences.

Frustration weakened Kaoru's footsteps as she left Kamishi standing in the yard. She had seen the look on his face when he had whipped Kenshin. He enjoyed the pain he caused. A man who took pleasure in the misery of others was not a man she wanted touching her body at night or fathering her children.

At the kitchen window, she saw Kenshin swing the axe again and again. Taking his anger out on the tree. He wouldn't have backed down if he had been alone with Kamishi, she knew. He held back for her.

When she went back to her chores, she went to the window as often as she could. Each time she saw Kenshin, her heart seemed lighter. Despite her earlier observations that he was the smallest of the men on the road gang, he was certainly no weakling. In fact, she had never seen anyone seem to work so effortlessly, so tirelessly. With such skill he wielded the axe, slowly cutting his way through the hard wood.

She managed to be at the window when the tree fell. There was a sharp crack and a great whoosh as the tree toppled to the ground, branches shuddering for a moment, and the silence after just as deafening.

Kenshin was breathing hard now. Dropping the axe, he wiped his forearm across his sweat-sheened face, then sat on his heels in the shade of the fallen giant. A few minutes later, Uncle Shiji came in for the midday meal. "Kaoru, go out and invite Kamishi-san to eat with us."

And Kaoru was forced to spend yet another meal in the presence of the insufferable man, forced to feel his eyes roaming all over her. She was never so thankful as when the men left to sit out on the porch.

She prepared a plate of food for Kenshin, managing to skip out from under the notice of her aunt to take it to him. He was sitting with his back against the hitching rail, his left hand and his feet shackled to it. "I've brought you something to eat," she said.

He nodded, eyes gentle on her as he took the bowl with his free hand and placed it on the ground beside him. He drained the cup she brought in one long swallow.

"Thank you for what you did," Kaoru said. "Do you…do you think he'll beat you for it?"

He hesitated, then shrugged with a slight smile. "Perhaps."

"I don't want you to be punished because of me."

"It doesn't matter, Kaoru-dono."

But it did. It most certainly did matter. But she didn't have time to tell him just how much. "I've got to go," she said. "Eat it all, okay?"

Kenshin nodded, and as always he said, "Thank you, Kaoru-dono."

* * *

Kamishi managed to get himself invited to dinner yet again, and Kaoru fidgeted as she had to listen to him talk about someday owning his own spread.

She couldn't concentrate on what he was saying, and she had absolutely no interest in his future plans. The only thing she wanted to know about was Kenshin. What might have happen to him once Kamishi had gotten him back to the camp? Another whipping? She hoped not, not when only a few days had passed since the last time.

Kamishi took out his pipe. "Do you mind if I smoke?"

"No," Kaoru said, not caring if he choked either. "What happened to the Wild Boy?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Did you beat him for attacking you?"

Kamishi studied Kaoru's face thoughtfully as he drew on his pipe.

"Did you?" she demanded.

"What difference does it make what happens to that little lizard-lover? How many times have you been down the hill to see him?" Kamishi asked suddenly, roughly.

"Just…just the once."

He snorted.

"Please don't hurt him. He hasn't done anything to you."

Kamishi snorted again. "You're too late, Kaoru-san. I beat the hell out of him when I got him back to camp."

Kaoru clenched her fists. "No!"

"Yes." He held out his hands, palms down. His knuckles were bruised and swollen. "I beat him with my bare hands."

"Why?"

"_Why_? Because the little bastard attacked me, that's why."

"He was only trying to protect me!" Kaoru snarled at him, then stopped, paling as she realizing what the words had implied.

Kamishi grinned, a cold and mean look. He drew on his pipe again. "I wonder what your aunt would think of you going down and visiting that little dragoner? Wonder what she'd say?"

Kaoru's stomach muscles knotted. "You--"

"I'll keep quiet," he interrupted. "On one condition. You meet me by the lake tomorrow night at midnight."

"Why would I do that?"

He dropped his hand to her thigh and gave it a squeeze, caught her hand when she raised it to strike him.

"You should be more careful," he said. "It's a hard world and information volunteered can be used against you. A smart man knows when he's got an edge. A smart woman knows to keep her mouth shut."

And he was right. Kaoru's eyes moved from one of his to the other, her heart sinking as she realized just how costly were these things she had given away to this man.

"You'll meet me at the lake," he continued in the same mocking, sagely tone. "Because if you don't, I'll take my aggravation out of that your little red Wild Boy's hide. Keep it up, and I might even tell your aunt what you've been up to."

She jerked her wrist out of his grip. He let her go, grinning.

"You can't win...Kaoru-san."


	7. Half an Escape

7  
Half An Escape

There were few of Kenshin's movements that didn't cause waves of pain rippling down his back as he attacked the damp earth of the hill with his shovel. His back was still covered with half-healed scabs and welts, which hadn't been helped by that bare-fisted beating Kamishi had doled out the night before. Kenshin didn't exactly see the honor in pasting a man whose hands were shackled behind his back, but Kamishi didn't employ honor much in his everyday life.

The redhead tried to keep up the pace, keeping his bruised face down, trying to avoid the whip. He wasn't any more afraid of it than before, but he had to try to avoid getting hurt any more before he could heal some.

Slowly his shovel ate away at the part of the hillside that spilled across the road, each shovelful of dirt undercutting the hill. He had cut into nearly ten feet when he encountered a large rock.

He risked a moment to stop working, staring at the rock thoughtfully. An idea, full of risks and the probability of getting killed formed around the rock. He shrugged to himself. It was…about time he escaped anyway. Escape, one way or another.

He tossed the shovel aside and put his shoulder against the boulder, the muscles in his arms and back straining with the great effort.

He squeezed his eyes shut. However much he loved his people, Kenshin had never actually wished to be a dragon before. But now would have been a good time for their strength. Or perhaps simply the great human strength of Master Hiko. Better than what Kenshin had on even on his best day.

Still, perhaps the long months of continuous labor were paying off in ways he hadn't realized as he felt the rock begin to slide. Throwing newfound energy into it, he strained for all he was worth, and the rock was dislodged, cascading down the hillside in a barrage of dirt, completely blocking the road and momentarily separating him from the road boss and the other prisoners.

There wasn't time to curse the chains that would hobble his stride as he began to run. He could hear Kamishi shouting. It would only be a matter of minutes before the road boss, unfettered and on horseback, would be in pursuit.

He grunted when a sudden weight smashed into his right shoulder, heard the report of the rifle as blood spurted from the wound. He had been expecting this nearly the entire time, though, and didn't let it break his stride as he ran, eyes darting everywhere, searching for something that could be used to his advantage.

Hoofbeats were closing in on him, so he changed directions and plunged down a rocky, bush-covered slope. He slid down the hill, crashing through shrubs until he came to a rest against the side of a rotting deadfall. Clawing at the hollow log, he pulled himself up and crawled inside, then lay still, panting.

He could hear Kamishi cursing loudly from the top of the hill. But the hill was covered with brush, so the road boss couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him.

Of course, he would still come down to look. Kenshin watched him through the log, eyes following Kamishi's progress. He was bent low as he moved, and Kenshin saw that he was tracking him by the droplets of blood from his wound.

Gritting his teeth, Kenshin waited until Kamishi got close to his log, almost just passing it before the Wild Boy slithered out and hurled himself at the road boss. The two men went tumbling down the hill, but Kamishi, bigger and heavier, was on top when they came to a halt.

The road boss's hands were around Kenshin's neck. Kenshin struggled, but he was too tired, too wounded, and too impeded by the chains to buck Kamishi off. Blackness was creeping up on him just as one of his hands closed on a rock. Summoning all the strength he had left, Kenshin swung the rock, smashing it into Kamishi's head.

His death was surprisingly quiet, just a soft grunt and the gentle whooshing noise of him falling away, coming to rest limply on the ground, part of his weight still on Kenshin.

Kenshin lay where he was for several minutes, breathing hard. His back felt like it was on fire. He shoved Kamishi off and reached around to touch it, fingers coming back sticky with blood. His shoulder, too, was bleeding. Sapping his strength. Making him light-headed.

Sitting up carefully, he grasped a handful of dirt and pressed it over the wound in his shoulder, then quickly searched the corpse's pockets until he found the key to his shackles.

Free for the first time in what felt like a century, Kenshin did something he had not been able to do in a long time. In spite of the pain in his back, he spread his arms wide, stretching. It had been so long since he was able to expand his chest muscles in this way, and just as long since he had been able to walk to the full extent of his stride.

He was free now, and if he got moving, he would stay that way.

Drawing a deep breath, he stood up. The world reeled out of focus for a few moments, but he was able to stay conscious. Later he might surrender to the pain, but for now he had to keep moving. It would only be a matter of time before Shutaro would see that Kamishi wasn't coming back.

On his hands and knees, he climbed laboriously to the top of the hill again. He had hoped to find Kamishi's horse, but the animal had apparently wandered back to camp, which would alert the other road boss that something was amiss much sooner than Kenshin had hoped.

He paused, listening, sensing, but all he heard was the wind and the crickets. Shutaro wasn't coming yet.

Kamishi's rifle had slid to the bottom of the hill during their scuffle, but Kenshin wouldn't have picked it up even if he had seen it anyway. Even if his training didn't frown upon the projectile weapon, he didn't have time right now to search for it and figure out how to operate it.

Rising to his feet, he crossed the rough-hewn path and started up the opposite hill that led to the place of Kaoru's family. Kaoru had mentioned a lake at the top of the steep slope. His body needed water.

The sun was setting behind the mountains in the distance by the time he reached the top. There he saw the lake, shimmering like liquid silver. Breathing heavily, he made it to the edge of the pool and dropped on to his stomach, burying in face in the water. After a time of alternately drinking and breathing, Kenshin finally moved away from the lake's edge, dragging himself toward a stand of tangled brush and timber. Covering himself with leaves and small branches, he curled up and was asleep the second he closed his eyes.

* * *

Kaoru lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The clock in the next room chimed eleven times.

A decision would have to be made, and soon. Either she would have to get up and go to meet Kamishi, or choose to call his bluff and stay here, safe in her room.

Kaoru wasn't a fool. Once she agreed to meet Kamishi on the sly, she would be at his mercy. She was almost completely certain that he wouldn't settle for one meeting, or one kiss. If she met him once, he would have the means of blackmailing her again and again.

Her hands twisting in her covers. And then what would happen to Kenshin? If she refused to go, he would be the first to pay the price for her cowardice. It wasn't fair! How could she let him suffer any more at Kamishi's hand when she could do something to prevent it?

When the clock struck the half-hour, she got up, dressed hastily, and quietly left the house.

The night was inky black, moon and stars covered by clouds. Kaoru shivered with apprehension as she led her uncle's big roan gelding out of the barn and climbed onto his bare back.

Trees and shrubs that were familiar during the day now seemed twisted and menacing. Rocks and bushes took on shapes of wild animals. The call of a night bird made her jump.

The cloud cover broke when she reached the lake, casting a silvery glow on the water. At any other time, she might have been enthralled by the beauty of it, but not now. Fear had chased away all comfort.

Her heart was hammering as she rode slowly around the lake. There was no sign of Kamishi. Was she early? Or was he late? Or maybe, please God, maybe he had changed his mind.

She circled the lake a second time and began to wish she had thought to bring a shawl.

She had reigned the gelding to a halt, wondering how long she would be expected to wait when a whispered voice came from nearby.

"Kaoru-dono?"

Eyes wide with surprise, she scanned the darkness. "Kenshin, where are you?"

"Here."

She saw him then, barely visible behind a tangled mass of brush and saplings. She got off her horse quickly, hurrying toward him, her eyes growing all the wider when she saw the blood caked on his shoulder.

"You're hurt!"

Kenshin nodded.

"Is it bad?"

"I don't think so."

"How did you get away?"

"I was lucky."

"Lucky!" She pointed at his shoulder. "You call that lucky?"

He smiled. "I'm still alive," he pointed out.

Kaoru cast an anxious glance over her shoulder. "You can't be here. You've got to go, Kenshin!"

Kenshin nodded. "Soon."

"No, now," she insisted. "Before--"

Kenshin frowned at the urgency in her voice. "Before what?"

Kaoru sighed heavily. She most certainly did not want to tell him that she was meeting Kamishi, didn't want him thinking that she liked the man enough to go sneaking out to see him in the middle of the night, but none of that mattered right now. Nothing mattered but getting Kenshin away from here before the road boss arrived.

"Kamishi's coming here," she said, her head lowered so that the Wild Boy couldn't see her face.

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter why!" she snapped. "You've got to go."

"You came here to meet him?" Kenshin guessed, a slight note of strain in his voice.

Kaoru rubbed her eyes. "_Yes_. But not for the reason you think. There's no time to explain now. Just hurry away from here."

"Kamishi won't be coming here tonight."

Relief washed through Kaoru, making her knees weak. "You're sure?"

"Very sure."

"Thank God," she said breathlessly. "But they'll be looking for you soon. You've got to at least find a place to hide, Kenshin."

He nodded again, and as she watched his eyes close wearily for a few seconds, an idea came to Kaoru.

They might expect him to run off back into the hills with the other Wild People and dragons, but they wouldn't expect him to double back to civilization, would they?

"Here," Kaoru said, leading the roan to him. "Get on. I've got an idea."

Gritting his teeth, he got to his feet, grasped the gelding's mane and pulled himself onto the animal's back. The strain on his shoulder brought a grimace of pain to his face and a fine sheen of sweat to his brow.

He smiled weakly as he took the reins from Kaoru's hand. "I, too, have an idea."

"You'll never get away," Kaoru said. "You're too weak to get very far, and you don't have any food." She felt the tears welling in her eyes even as she tried to crush them away. "And my uncle will beat me until I couldn't stand up if you steal his horse."

Kenshin blinked slowly at her. "Why would your uncle do this to you? He could never know you helped me?"

"Even if he didn't find out, he would take it out on me."

He stared at her another moment, eyes studying her face until he finally said, "What's your idea?"

* * *

Kenshin concentrated on holding onto the horse as Kaoru led it along, trying to keep the gelding as steady as possible.

Her idea was to hide him in the loft of the barn. No one else ever went up there except her, she said. She wanted to look after his wound and feed him until he was strong enough to travel again.

It was a mistake and he knew it. But she had been so kind to him, brought him water when he had so badly needed it, offered him her sweet smile and kind words when everyone else had nothing to show him but abuse. He couldn't take the horse if it would cause her even a moment's pain.

Getting him up the ladder to the loft was an ordeal. Weak from blood loss and in much pain, he leaned heavily on her shoulder as they made their way up, but soon the sapphire-eyed angel had him settled on an old quilt she spread over a pile of soft hay. She left for a few minutes, returning with bandages and ointment.

Kenshin felt the tension drain out of him as she spread the healing salve over his bare back and shoulders. Her touch was soft, comforting, more healing to his soul than the salve was healing to his body. In this way, she reminded him of his sister. It had been so long since he had felt soft, concerned, caring touches on his body, hands that wanted to take away his pain.

When she finished, she opened a basket of food and Kenshin smiled at the way she sat quietly by, making certain that he ate everything that she brought for him, insisting, when he asked, that she had already eaten.

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono," he said sincerely. He had said those words many times, but always he meant them. His wounds no longer pained him, and his stomach was completely full for the first time in months. He gazed at Kaoru in warm, sleepy affection, eyelids so heavy. "Thank you…"

* * *

Kaoru tenderly watched Kenshin as his eyes slid shut, and his head dropped onto her shoulder. Very, very gently, she placed her hand on the back of his head, her fingers threading through his hair.

She studied his profile, marveling again at how handsome he was. She had been told all her life that his people were wild. Uncivilized, living so hand-in-hand with nature. No written language, no ingenuity with gadgets. That all they practiced was fighting arts and butchery, a savage and godless people.

No one had ever told her they could be beautiful.

Her eyes lingered on his mouth, his lips slightly parted. It was well-shaped, sensual, his mouth. She liked the color of his lips and the fact that the lower one was just slightly larger than the upper one.

She touched the lower lip for the merest fraction of a second, fingertips as light as a snowflake drifting over a windowpane, and then she pressed her fingertips to her own lips. Her cheeks reddened at the impulsive act.

She knew she should go, but she couldn't bring herself to leave him. Sitting there, cradling his head against her shoulder, made her feel very protective. Maternal, almost. She looked at his shoulder and thought of his back and grew angry. He would be left with several scars.

How had he endured so many months on a road gang? Living in chains, whipped daily, mocked and tormented for what he was. It was a cruel, inhuman form of punishment, no matter what the crime.

She sat there watching Kenshin sleep until dawn began to brighten the sky. Regretfully, she eased him onto the quilt and left him and moved to the ladder, looking back to make certain he was hidden from any casual observer.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when Kamishi's partner Shutaro showed up.

"Sorry to bother you, Ma'am," he said with a nod to Aunt Urei, "but one of our prisoners escaped last night. Killed my partner."

Kaoru stared at him, unable to believe her ears. Kenshin had killed Kamishi?

Aunt Urei's hand went to her throat. "You don't think he'll come here, do you?" she demanded.

"No, Ma'am. I think he'll probably run as far away from here as fast as he can get, but if you don't mind, I'd like to look around just to be on the safe side."

"Please do," Aunt Urei invited, stepping aside so the road boss could enter the house.

While they searched inside, Kaoru hurried to the barn, ostensibly to throw some carrot scraps to Uncle Shiji's horse. She was still there when the road boss came with her uncle at his heels, explaining again what he had already explained to Aunt Urei.

Uncle Shiji looked dismally disappointed on hearing about Kamishi's death.

"Could I look around in here?" Shutaro asked.

Depressed, Shiji waved him onward, and Kaoru watched as he walked the length of the barn, peering into each stall, checking behind several bales of hay. His expression turned thoughtful as he saw the ladder to the loft. "What's up there?"

"Some old furniture and a couple of trunks," Uncle Shiji said. "My niece has a hideaway up there."

"Mind if I take a look?"

"I'll look," Kaoru offered. "Please, I don't like for strangers to trample my things."

"Fine." The road boss's hand dropped to the butt of his gun on his right hip. "You just yell if he's up there."

Kaoru nodded, shimmied up the ladder and pretended to look around. Kenshin sat cross-legged on the quilt, and she gave him a reassuring smile, then turned and hurried back down.

"There's nothing up there," she reported truthfully, "except what I put up there."

"I didn't think he'd dare show his face around here, but I to make sure. I imagine he's halfway to the higher lands by now. Or lying dead somewhere on the plains feeding the carrion birds. Either way, they'll find him sooner or later. Sorry to have troubled you all."

The road boss had left the prisoners shackled to a tree, and had to hurry back to them. Uncle Shiji had one last chance to ask about the road, however, and learned that it should be ready before the next snow.

Kaoru was dizzy was relief. And a little touch of excitement. Kenshin was safe, and he was here where she could see him and speak to him every day.

But Kenshin…he had killed someone. He killed Kamishi. She could think of little else as she did her chores that evening.

Late that night while her uncle and aunt slept, she crept into the kitchen to prepare him something to eat. She placed the food in her basket along with fresh bandages.

He killed a man. The thought filled her mind as she made her way through the dark barn and up the ladder to the loft. Kenshin was waiting for her.

She lit a small candle and placed it on the floor, smiling at him uncertainly. He had killed…

"You look much better," she said.

"I feel better, thanks to you."

His words and smile were like liquid sunshine, filing her with warmth. Surely this kind and gentle man couldn't be guilty of murder.

She sat beside him while he ate, content to be near him, and pleased with his appetite. A good appetite meant he'd be strong again soon.

When he finished, Kaoru removed the bandage from his shoulder. To her untrained eye, the wound looked ghastly, but she saw no pus oozing from the wound, no telltale streaks that hinted infection. His back, too, seeming to be healing nicely. He was indeed, as he had said before at the lake, lucky.

She put a fresh bandage over the wound in his arm, then sat back, suddenly shy. She felt differently than she had the night before. Kenshin's scent was so close, the sight of his bare torso blocking everything else from her sight. He was probably cold, she thought, but she was the one who was shivering.

Her mouth was suddenly dry as she lifted her eyes to his face, only to find him gazing down at her, his large plum eyes brimming with an emotion she didn't understand.

"You're trembling, Kaoru-dono," he said quietly. "Are you afraid of me now?"

"No, of course not." Her voice sounded strange in her ears. "Did you kill him?" The words came out of nowhere.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"This time, to save my own life," he said, his voice hard and flat. "He has not been the only one. I've killed many New People, any who have invaded our homes and taken or killed my people." He was quiet for a heartbeat, then the anger left his voice as he said softly, "But I would never hurt you, Kaoru-dono."

"I know," Kaoru murmured. And she did know. She wasn't afraid of him, not now, not ever, but how else to describe these strange feelings? The butterflies in her stomach, her damp palms. Without quite knowing how it came about, she found herself wishing he would kiss her.

Kenshin knew he was staring at her, but he couldn't seem to draw his eyes from her face. Her hair was darker than the night itself, her skin translucent, her lips slightly parted in an oh-so-tempting way. Her eyes were luminous in the flickering light of the candle, innocent, trusting. She was only a child, he reminded himself, a young girl who had risked much to help him.

"You had better go, Kaoru-dono," he whispered thickly. "Before you're missed."

"Yes," she agreed, rising to her feet.

Kenshin felt his breath catch in his throat as she stood before him. The candlelight shone behind her, making the thin, threadbare, white yukata almost transparent, revealing shapely legs, gently rounded hips.

He watched as she left the loft, reminding himself again and again that she was just a child, an innocent young girl clothed in the soft flesh of womanhood, unaware of the ways of men.

Sleep was a long time coming.


	8. Many Changes

8  
Many Changes

They didn't love her.

It came as more of a shock than he might have imagined. She had told him she was adopted, just as he had been adopted, but Kenshin's sister had _cherished _him. She had played with him when he was a child, educated him, made sure he had all he wanted to eat, always gave him gifts to celebrate the day of his birth. Never a day went by when he didn't get at least one hug and kiss from her. Never a day went by that she didn't say she loved him. Even times when they might have a siblingly quarrel, she never let the day end without those, the most important of all words.

"We're not linked by blood, my brother," she once said to him, "but by love, which is stronger, and unlike blood, everlasting."

A few days passed with Kenshin hiding in the loft of the barn, and he had come to reflect perhaps it was a very good thing indeed that Kaoru's aunt was barren. If this was how she treated such beautiful soul as Kaoru, there was absolutely no need for her to pass her traits on to an offspring.

From the barn, he could hear the old woman's sharp voice when she was outside. She berated Kaoru for being slow, for being clumsy, for forgetting, and piled more chores on what seemed to already be too much work for one person. Never once was Kaoru praised for anything. If she did well, life simply went on without reprimand.

In some ways, her life here seemed to be worse than his lengthy ordeal on the road gang. At least he carried the memory of his sister's warmth and that one special smile she gave only to him. At least he had known that one way or another, it would end. Kaoru had no such comfort.

Yet she was still so lovely, had such an energetic disposition and kind nature, radiating a sweetness and light that her overbearing aunt and indifferent uncle had not been able to tarnish.

This didn't mean they couldn't hurt, her, though. Sometimes he saw the strain in her smile when she snuck in a few minutes in between chores to feed him. If he smiled back, the hurt seemed to fade away, especially the grateful smile he had given her when she brought him a shirt to wear.

But it wasn't until she came to him in tears one late night that the desire to give her comfort became unbearable, and in a moment, he found himself holding her in his arms, his hand stroking her hair and back, and a string of words pouring from him, promises that someday she would have all of the love and happiness she deserved, that a heart such a hers wasn't meant to live forever in this misery and servitude.

And somehow, a custom began between them from this. When she would come to visit him at night, depending on how difficult the day had been for her, she would snuggle into his embrace.

Perhaps it was because she was so starved for affection, perhaps because she had never known the wonderful feeling of being cuddled in another's arms that she didn't find this as indecent as another girl might have. Kenshin never refused her, letting her stay for as long as she wanted. He was deeply in her debt, and he could at least let her find solace from her unhappiness in whatever way he could offer it.

He was surprised and saddened to hear that she had no friends, so seldom was she allowed to visit the town, and busy with work besides. She told him how much she had enjoyed school, which he learned was a place where young people learned to read and write, before her aunt had made her quit.

"Why did she make you stop going?"

"It took too many hours out of the day that I could be spending here, working."

Several foul names for Kaoru's aunt floated into Kenshin's mind before he could quite stop them. Did the insufferable outlander woman have to crush every ounce of her precious niece's happiness wherever she found it?

She asked him what dragons were like, and she was surprised to hear that most of the time they weren't great, lumbering lizards or huge, fanged beasts like the tales most of her people told.

"Most of the time, they look like us," he said. "The forms your people fear so much are the way their bodies can change."

"Change?"

"Yes, they can become bigger, stronger, with greater abilities. These forms are for battle and ceremony, but they aren't used in day-to-day life. I only ever saw my own sister's dragon form a few times."

"Your sister's…?" Kaoru pulled back from him a little, her eyes wide. "K-Kenshin, are you a--?"

"No," he said quickly, grinning. "I am no dragon. I'm just a man. My sister, she--" He hesitated. "She found me in the forest one day, when I was very small. Too small to walk or feed myself, she told me. She wasn't much more than a child herself at the time, but she was all alone. So she took me to her home and cared for me. I've never known anyone as strong and as kind as she was…" _Except, perhaps, you, Kaoru-dono._

"Was?" Kaoru said. Her eyes saddened. "Is she gone, then?"

"Yes. New People killed her. They cut her and took her blood because they thought she was a fur drake." His voice was harsh in his own ears.

Kaoru lowered her head with shame. "I'm so sorry," she said.

There was quiet for a moment before she said, "Your sister was another kind of dragon than a beastial one?"

Kenshin shook his head. "She was a hybrid. Half fur drake and half armor drake. There was a time when half-breeds weren't approved of, but now our dragons are so few in numbers than any child is a blessing. But…but because she was a child of two different kinds of drakes, most of the powers of each half were killed by each other. Her body didn't have restorative or lethal properties like full-blooded drakes do. She couldn't even fly. They…hurt her for nothing. Her blood was nothing but her life."

She jumped out of his arms and hugged him in her own instead. Rocking lightly, she cried for him.

Kenshin's eyes were a little wide with the surprise of it. He had been steady when he'd spoken of his sister's death, and yet she cried for him.

How strange she was.

How beautiful.

* * *

In a later conversation, Kaoru wanted to know what it was like living in the higher lands. Kenshin told her a little of the village he had lived in when he was young, some of what it was like to live underground, fighting to keep their land, and to protect their dragons from the greed of the Enemies.

"Is that where you want to go when you leave here?" she asked him.

"Yes. I want to fight again."

Kaoru nodded, but her eyes became very sad.

"What about you, Kaoru-dono?" he asked softly, to distract her, shifting a little where she leaned against him. Her weight was putting his leg to sleep, but he would never complain. "What do you want out of life?"

"I want a home of my own," she said with conviction. "I want my own house, my own land. A place like this one, but my own." She smiled wistfully. "My aunt hates it here. She misses the bustle of the city where she grew up before she met my uncle. But I love it here. I think it's beautiful."

_You are beautiful_, he thought, but could not say.

"Do many of the young men from here court you?" he asked instead.

"No."

"No?" Kenshin exclaimed in disbelief. Were they all blind?

"There are only a few young men here near my age," Kaoru said, "and I can't say I care for any of them. They're all very loud and close-minded. I…want someone who's strong but gentle at the same time. Someone who wants to care for me and let me care for him."

"I hope you find him. You deserve all the good things life has to offer."

She blushed a little, turning shy where she leaned on him. But she didn't move away.

* * *

Kaoru's thoughts were full of her Wild Boy as she helped her aunt prepare the evening meal the following night. Already she was thinking ahead to time when she could sneak out to the barn and be with him again. Ham was baking in the oven, and she couldn't wait to take him some.

But in the midst of her enjoyment of his company was a bit of sorrow. His wounds were healing rapidly. Soon he would leave to return to his people, to his fight. She'd never see him again, and her life would be all the more empty without him.

Dinner was silent for Kaoru's family. Aunt Urei wasn't speaking to Uncle Shiji. Whatever his slight was that earned her thunderous silence, Kaoru had no idea. And of course, neither of them spoke to her.

Kaoru preferred the silence anyway, more pleasant than their constant bickering. It was days like these that made her wonder why they had gotten married in the first place. They didn't seem happy together, didn't enjoy any mutual interests, rarely had a kind word for each other.

It was while Kaoru was clearing up after dinner that it happened. Somehow the delicate foreign-painted teapot that Uncle Shiji had given to Aunt Urei for an anniversary gift tumbled from her hands and hit the hardwood floor, shattering into a million sparkling pieces.

Kaoru looked up, stricken, to meet her aunt's blazing, merciless gaze.

"Get the strap," was all Urei said.

"Please, Aunt Urei, it was an accident."

"There are no such things as accidents!"

Desperate, Kaoru looked in her uncle's direction, hoping, just this once, he might intercede.

But it wasn't to be. He turned away as if none of it was his concern, and she was shaking with dread as she mechanically walked into the kitchen and took down the heavy piece of leather that Uncle Shiji used to hone his razor. Her mouth was dry as she went through the motions she knew better than to alter or change in any way. Walking to her room, she lay face down across her bed, her back bared to the waist.

Aunt Urei's voice was cold and implacable. It was only meaningless things she said. "Ungrateful child", "willful", "clumsy" were her favorites.

The strap came down on Kaoru's tender flesh.

"I have done everything I can to give you a good home, and how do you repay me? By breaking an object I treasured with your clumsiness."

The strap came down again, harder this time. Kaoru closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip, her body writhing in pain as her aunt struck her again and again. Urei's words became a jumble in her ears, any meaning that was left was lost in her tears, in the welts raising on her flesh, in the fire that burned her back.

A cry finally erupted from her throat. Kenshin, he had been brave. He had endured his whipping without making a sound.

She was sobbing when her aunt left the room, locking the door behind her. She wouldn't be able to see Kenshin tonight. That hurt more than anything else.

* * *

Kenshin stirred restlessly. Where was she?

He was a little hungry, but much more than he wanted food, he wanted to see Kaoru. There wasn't exactly much for entertainment hiding away in a loft, and he missed her laughter and smile.

He walked across the loft to peer out the window. The house was dark and quiet. Where was Kaoru?

Another hour passed, and still she didn't come.

Impulsively, he climbed down the ladder and padded through the barn. He was about to open one of the big double doors when Shiji entered the barn.

For a moment, the two men stared at each other. Not for the first time, Kenshin cursed his lack of a sword as the other man jerked a rifle from his saddle boot and eased back the hammer.

"Don't move," he warned, his eyes narrowing. "You're that red-headed dragoner boy that escaped from the road gang, the one who killed Kamishi." He chuckled humorlessly. "Wonder if there's a reward posted for you yet?"

Kenshin didn't move or take his eyes from the barrel of the rifle that was leveled squarely at his midsection. Shiji's finger was steady on the trigger, and the slightest pressure would send a bullet into his belly.

"Turn around," Shiji said brusquely, "and don't try anything funny. There's no law against killing Wild People."

Kenshin's eyes wandered past him, to the darkness beyond the barn door.

"Don't try it," Shiji said. "Now turn around or I'll put a slug in your gut. That's a bad way to die, Wild Boy. Could take days."

Kenshin gritted his teeth. If he was just a little further away, he could track the bullet's path and be out of harm's way, but he was too close to try to dodge it without being seriously hurt. As he turned around slowly, he could only hope that Kaoru wouldn't be connected with his being in the barn.

* * *

"I'll feed the stock this morning," Uncle Shiji said to Kaoru as she served him his breakfast.

Kaoru looked at her uncle askance, her eyes mirroring her anxiety. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No." Shiji glanced at his wife as Urei took her place at the table. Kaoru felt her insides grow taut as she waited for him to continue.

"I caught a Wild Boy right out in the barn," Shiji said, looking pleased with himself.

"A Wild Boy!" Aunt Urei exclaimed.

"Yes." Uncle Shiji smiled smugly. "That one that escaped from the road gang."

"Where is he now?"

"Still in the barn, tied up. There's nothing for you to be concerned about. I'll ride down and notify the road boss he's here after I feed the stock."

"Good. I won't have a moment's peace until I know he's gone."

_No! No, no, no… _Kaoru could barely control her breathing. Kenshin was a prisoner again. She didn't think he would be sent back to the same road gang again. He would probably have to face an entirely different punishment for killing Kamishi. They could kill him. They would take him away soon, and she would never know what happened to him.

She fought down all emotions as she cleared up and washed the dishes. Her aunt could never know the Wild Boy meant anything to her.

But she could only think of the barn. He was there, hungry, perhaps hurting. She watched her uncle ride away, trying to think of an excuse that she could invent to go to the barn.

But Aunt Urei kept her busy in the house all morning. Then she heard Uncle Shiji return and knew that any chance of helping Kenshin was gone.

Shiji's face was red and angry when he came into the house.

"What's wrong with you?" Aunt Urei asked.

"The road gang's gone. Neighbors say some kind of sickness overtook the prisoners, and they've all been taken back to their prisons."

"What about the Wild Boy? What are we going to do with him now?"

"I stopped off in town. The police chief's out of town and won't be back until tomorrow. I left word for him to get out here first thing in the morning to collect him."

"He's going to stay here overnight?"

"Well, _I'm _not hauling him all the way to town. Those Wild People are dangerous." He fixed Kaoru with a stern look. "You stay away from the barn, Missy. I don't want the little savage looking at you. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," Kaoru answered quickly.

Shiji nodded, satisfied.

* * *

It seemed to Kaoru the day would never end. Every time she thought her work was finished, her aunt found a new task for her. On her knees she polished the floor with a block of wax, then was set to work on a large basket of mending, and then the house needed to be cleaned from top to bottom for the company that would be coming over for dinner the following night.

Kaoru hurt. Her back burned and ached, and Urei had no sympathy nor mercy for her. Slowly the hours passed until, at last, the sun began to descended and twilight covered the land. Soon, Kaoru could go to him.

* * *

Kenshin cursed whatever laughing fate had brought Shiji into the barn just as he was about to go in search of Kaoru.

Her uncle had struck him across the back of the head with the butt of the rifle, and then, to make certain his prisoner couldn't escape, he'd bound his hands together, secured the end of the rope to one of the cross-beams, and left him hanging there like a side of beef.

He had had just about enough of this undignified treatment at the hands of his Enemies, and had he been one of his sister's people, he would have set fire to this barn and then moved on to blaze the entire town by now if that didn't satisfy him.

His body grew tense as the barn door opened, admitting a draft of cold air. They were coming for him and there was no way to escape.

"Kenshin?"

"Kaoru-dono?" he whispered, surprised and relieved.

He heard her moving in the darkness. "Where are you?" she called softly.

"Here."

Kaoru lifted her lantern higher, her eyes growing wide when she saw him hanging by his wrists from the cross-beam overhead. She placed the lantern on an upended barrel and reached into the basket of food she had brought for him, withdrew a knife.

Placing it between her teeth, she dragged a ladder across the floor, climbed nimbly to the top, and sawed through the heavy rope that bound his hands. He dropped stiffly to his feet, finally free again.

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono," he said, massaging his wrists.

"Yes. I brought food for you."

"Thank you again, but I don't have time to eat. I must go."

"Go?" she said bleakly. But of _course _he had to go. They were coming for him in the morning.

"I will not forget you, Kaoru-dono," he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "You have been a true friend to me."

_And I have been your only friend_, he thought sadly, watching as two fat tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. When he left, he would be taking all the kindness and affection he had tried to show her with him, and she would be alone again.

But this was the way it had to be.

"I'll miss you," she said, voice tight with unshed tears. "Be careful."

With a nod, he stepped closer and pulled her into one last hug. It would have to last them both for a long time. He didn't want to leave her, here, in this unhappy life, but there was no other choice. A last look, a lingering caress as his hand brushed her cheek again, and then he started for the door.

"Kenshin, wait." Kaoru ran after him. "Please wait."

Kenshin turned, his heart aching as he read the abject misery on her face, the sadness in her eyes. The night called to him, urging him to get out while there was still time, but he couldn't leave her like this. She had cared for his wounds, provided him with food and shelter and comfort, and had asked for nothing in return.

"Please don't cry, Kaoru-dono," he murmured, enfolding her in his arms yet again. "I can't bear your tears."

Kaoru's arms went tightly around his waist, and the little snuffling sound she made pained him. But, when he drew her closer, she groaned in pain.

"What is it?" he asked, holding her away from him, concerned.

"My back," Kaoru murmured, not meeting his eyes.

"What is wrong with it?"

"My aunt…" Kaoru still wouldn't meet his gaze. "She…she whipped me."

Rage filled Kenshin's soul at the thought of that Enemy woman daring to harm this precious girl. "Shall I kill her for you?" He would do it gladly. She had only to ask.

Kaoru laughed shakily, evidently thinking he was joking until she saw the fierce glint in his eyes.

"No, Kenshin," she said quickly. "No, no. But there is something you can do for me."

"Anything," Kenshin promised.

"Take me with you."

"Kaoru-dono." He whispered her name as he gently drew her toward him once more, pressing his lips to her hair. For one brief moment, he considered doing as she asked. The long journey back to the mountains, or maybe to the hills instead wouldn't maybe seem so long if she were at his side. He would delight in showing her the vast, rolling plains, the beauty of the hills or the snow-capped mountains, the wild flowers that bloomed along the way.

But…

"I would take you with me if I could," he said, "but it would not be wise."

"Please. My uncle will know I helped you escape. They _will _beat me again."

He was already weakening when she turned away from him and unfastened her yukata, letting the garment slide down her shoulders so he could see her back. "Please, Kenshin?"

He felt sick to his stomach as he gazed at her slender back, now covered with ridges and swollen marks. What kind of woman was her aunt, to treat Kaoru like this? None of his people would ever do such a thing to a child. His sister had never done anything more harsh than smack him on his bottom with a wooden spoon when he had behaved badly as a pup.

Gently, Kenshin drew Kaoru's nightclothes up around her shoulders, his hands lingering on her arms for just a moment before he let her go. Surely she would be better off with him than with a woman who beat her so cruelly.

Kaoru's heart was singing when she turned to face Kenshin, knowing before he even spoke that she had won.

"You need clothes," he said. "You can't travel in just your night garments."

"You'll wait for me?"

"Yes."

* * *

Kaoru flew over the ground as she ran back to the house. In her room, she quickly dressed. She had very little in the way of belongings, except an extra kimono and a comb, which she took with her into the kitchen. She took what food she could find, her uncle's skinning knife, and a fresh cake of soap from the pantry.

She was about to leave the house for the last time when she saw her uncle's sword. It was thrust irreverently into a little rack, surrounded by umbrellas.

Her uncle was not much of a swordsman, but he took care of the steel because it had been his father's. She picked it up carefully, amazed that it was so heavy to be so slender. Maybe it would be useful to Kenshin.

When she returned to the barn, Kenshin was waiting with two horses.

"Can you ride?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Here," she said, handing him the sword.

Kenshin's hand caressed the hilt, eyes lighting up in a way that she had never seen before. When he slid the scabbard through his belt, she thought he seemed…_completed _somehow, like there had been a piece missing from him all along, and she had only just now noticed.

He took her bundle from her and tied the open end closed with a piece of twine before trussing it onto one of the horses. Then he turned to face her, his hands lightly resting on her shoulders.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to change your mind."

Kaoru smiled into Kenshin's eyes. She was sure. She wanted to go with him. She wanted to _be _with him, always. "I will go with you."

With a nod, he placed his hands around her waist, and once again proving he was a great deal stronger than he looked, he lifted her onto the back of the roan. Then he swung atop the other horse, a buckskin, and rode bareback out of the barn. Kaoru followed him, her eyes fixed on his back.

* * *

Kenshin held his horse to a walk as they made their way out of the yard. The moon was bright overhead, lighting their path as they rode by he lake and angled their horses down the hill.

Kenshin grinned ruefully as they reached the road he had helped to clear. All his hard work hadn't been in vain, after all, he mused, and urged the buskin into a lope. He looked behind him to check on Kaoru, and felt his heart swell with affection when she smiled at him.

They rode all that night, each mile taking them further from civilization and deeper into the unsettled wilderness that stretched for two hundred miles between Kaoru's hometown of Iyo and Kenshin's mountains.

It was the dark hour before sunrise when Kenshin reined his lathered mount to a halt near the top of a slope. He lifted a trail-weary Kaoru from her horse and gently placed her on the ground, his arm curving around her waist to steady her as she swayed against him.

"We'll rest now, Kaoru-dono," he told her. "Only stay awake long enough for me to spread a blanket for you."

She nodded, and he moved quickly for her, removing the saddle blanket from the roan and spreading it on the ground. He lifted her off her feet, and he was certain she was already asleep before he eased her down on the heavy-woven cloth. He watched her a moment longer, his own body weary from the long ride and the abuse he had received from her uncle, but he wouldn't sleep yet.

Tethering the horses to a nearby tree, he went back over their trail from several hundred yards, erasing all signs of their passing.

The sun was climbing above the distant mountains when he returned to Kaoru. She was sleeping just as he'd left her. Carefully, he stretched out beside her. His shoulder was still sore from Kamishi's bullet, the back of his head ached where Kaoru's uncle had stuck him, yet as he closed his eyes, somehow he had never been more content, or felt more at peace.

* * *

Kaoru opened her eyes, stared for a moment in confusion at the sky. Then, in a rush, she remembered where she was and whom she was with. Turning her head, she saw Kenshin lying beside her.

Again, she thought him incredibly handsome. There were no harsh lines around his eyes and mouth when he slept. His hair was so red, falling over one side of his face, and his ponytail hanging over one shoulder.

Timidly, she reached out and let her fingertips touch on the locks at the end of the tail. Her touch was very light, but he woke up instantly, his hand gabbing hers in a grip of iron, the other closing on the hilt of his sword. Kaoru froze, startled by the look in his eyes and swiftness of his reaction.

"Kenshin…I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, I just--" She broke off in an agony of embarrassment. What was she going to say, that she wanted to touch his hair? That…just sounded silly.

Kenshin blinked twice, quickly letting go of her hand. "Did I hurt you?"

"No."

His eyes held hers another moment, a little flicker of emotion, something between remorse and amusement, danced across his face. Before she could wonder about it, he said, "What did you bring to eat?"

"Oh! You must be starving," Kaoru said, jumping to her feet, the tension not only broken, but completely forgotten as she rummaged around in her bag.

After a very simple meal, they were riding toward the distant mountains again. They rode all that day across gently rolling land. Once, far in the distance, Kaoru saw a couple of white-tailed deer. Riding on, she saw great hunting birds take wing, soaring with ultimate freedom.

She looked at Kenshin, saw him staring up a little bleakly at those hunting birds. Her own expression saddened. What was he thinking of now? Was he remembering how this land had once belonged to his people? Or maybe how once, the dragons could soar in the sky like that without care, without fear? She almost asked him, but changed her mind at the last moment. Somehow these were thoughts on which she should be intruding…yet.

They paused now and then to rest the horses, and Kaoru found herself awed again and again by the vastness that surrounded them. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but earth and sky and mountains that never seemed to get any closer. Occasionally she saw a clump of wildflowers, perhaps a stand of cottonwoods near a winding stream, but those were rare. The vastness, the silence, the lack of humanity, made her feel small and insignificant and a little bit lonely even with Kenshin beside her.

Late in the afternoon they came to a small box canyon. They rode single file through the sheer walls, and Kaoru couldn't help a little sigh of pleasure as they came into the canyon itself. It was certainly one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Trees grew in abundance, leafy arms reaching toward the sky in silent, never-ending supplication. A small waterfall emptied into a mirrorlike pool that was surrounded by wildflowers and gray-green shrubbery and graceful trees. The grass was ankle-deep, thick and soft beneath her feet. She looked at Kenshin, her eyes alight with the beauty of the place. The air was clear, fragrant with the scent of grass and earth and trees.

Kenshin's eyes were smiling at her, and suddenly she knew he had brought her here on purpose, to show her the breathtaking beauty of his world. She felt her cheeks grow warm as he continued to look at her. Her pulse quickened as he walked toward her, but he only took the reins from her hand and began to unbridle her horse. She watched him, mesmerized by the ebb and flow of his movements, by the way the setting sun fed the fire of his bright red hair.

Turning, he removed the bridle from his own horse, then he took her hand in his. "Come, Kaoru-dono. Let's go exploring."

They walked hand in hand down the canyon, the only two people in the world. Kaoru saw the flowers and trees and rocks and the stream that got its start from the crystal pool, the high canyon walls, the darkening sky, but she was only really aware of the man beside her.

He was so near, her hand trustingly resting in his. Her fingers tingled at his touch, and the heat from his hand seem to travel up her arm and right into her heart. She heard him talk, telling her about the different herbs and plants that grew in the canyon, but the words made no sense. She heard only the sound of his voice, soft and rich, as beautiful to the ear as his form was to her eye.

He handed her a delicate pink flower and she smelled of it, but it wasn't really the flower's perfume that filled her…it was more of his own scent that she smelled. It was most disconcerting. And satisfying.

She was hardly aware of returning to the place where they left the horses. In short time, their camp was set up. Kenshin gathered an armload of firewood, dug a shallow pit, and lit a fire while Kaoru sorted through their supplies to find something for dinner. They ate in companionable silence. A shiver of pleasure skittered along Kaoru's arm when Kenshin's hand brushed hers to take his cup, and she felt again that peculiar singing sensation in the pit of her stomach, a tremor of breathless excitement that washed over her whenever the Wild Boy touched her.

She was aware of his eyes on her face as she washed their few dishes and utensils and put them away.

"It's colder here," she said, suddenly feeling the need for conversation.

He nodded and added more fuel to the fire. His skin glowed like burnished copper in the glow of the flames.

That night he slept sitting up beside her on the blanket, his new sword resting on his shoulder. She was acutely aware of his masculinity, and of her own femininity. She had never been overly curious about the difference between men and women. On her uncle's farm, she had seen the livestock mate, and knew very well such couplings produced young. It would be much the same with people.

Until now, Kaoru had never thought much about marriage or children. She had never met a boy she liked, and she had especially never met a boy she would have considered doing _that _with. But now…

She put such thoughts from her mind. Kenshin was her friend, and he thought of her as a child, nothing more.

In the morning, Kenshin told her they would spend a few days in the canyon. He had seen deer tracks near the pool, and it would be a good idea to stay long enough to rest and hunt. Warm coats could be made from deer hide, and they could jerk venison for their journey.

Her heart was light. She was free of her aunt's shrewish tongue, free of her uncle's domination. And _he _was here, her handsome, red-haired Wild Boy. He would protect her and provide for her, and she would likewise take care of him.

She watched as he honed the skinning knife she had thought to bring from her uncle's house, mesmerized by the play of slender muscles in his bare back. The wounds were almost all gone, but as she had guessed had left him with scars. He never complained, not about the pain of the brutal whipping or the wound in his shoulder, and she wondered if any of it still caused him pain. The area around the bullet wound was turning greenish-purple, the scab thick and ugly.

Kenshin ran his thumb along the edge of the blade. The metal was whetted to a fine edge, sharp enough to slice through meat and muscle, strong enough to cut through small branches to make a shelter of sorts.

He spent the day building a three-sided shelter out of long, slender branches from the canyon. Kaoru helped to make a thatched roof out of leaves, and they smiled at each other often as they worked, pleased with their creation, and with the way they worked together, with never a cross word or an angry frown.

It was dusk when Kaoru made her way to the small pool to bathe. Kenshin had gone hunting. She wondered if he would have any luck in finding a deer. Her mouth watered at the thought of fresh venison, a nice change from the bread they had been eating the rest of the time.

Stripping out of her kimono, she waded into the shallow water. Huddling there, she untied her hair and shook it loose, letting the mass of it fall about her shoulders. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, she floated into the pool and began her bath.

She was shivering when she stepped from the water. Drying herself quickly with her kimono, for lack of anything else, she then knelt beside the pool and began to wash the garment, wishing she had something a little better, a little less shapeless and worn-out, to change into.

* * *

Kenshin felt his heart slam against his chest when she saw Kaoru kneeling beside the water. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes moved over her in slow fascination. The setting sun cast red-gold shadows over her smooth flesh. Her loose hair cascaded down her slender back.

He wasn't aware of making any noise, but somehow Kaoru sensed that she was no longer alone. Startled, she jumped nimbly to her feet and whirled around, her cheeks flushing scarlet when she saw Kenshin there.

His own face was burning red, but he was paralyzed, murky feelings of admiration mixed with despair traveling from his heart to his stomach and back again. This was no child. No child at all. She was beautifully formed and wonderfully grown. How had he ever thought otherwise?

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came forth. Kenshin felt the barest ghost of amusement as she belatedly crossed her arms over her chest, her face growing a shade redder.

For an eternity they stood this way, neither able to form a coherent thought. Kenshin's blood was hammering in his ears, burning in his veins. She was more beautiful, more desirable, than he had ever imagined, and he was suddenly filled with many male urges that he had to struggle to rein in.

He wasn't even certain whether he should be ashamed on not as his instincts begged him to take her in his arms. He was sure he was going to die, right here and right now as his gaze lifted to her face. Her eyes were filled with apprehension. Her mouth was slightly parted. A muscle worked in his jaw as he fought to regain control of his emotions. And then, summoning every ounce of willpower he possessed, he turned on his heel and walked away.

It was among the hardest things he had ever done.

* * *

Kaoru went suddenly limp, as thought she had been released from some magical spell when Kenshin's eyes left hers. Her heart was hammering wildly, knees weak, mouth dry as dust.

Quickly, clumsily, she pulled on her other kimono, draped the one she had been washing over a rock to dry.

Kenshin…was he all right? He almost looked like he was in pain.

He was sitting cross-legged before the fire when she finally found the courage to return to their campsite. She saw that he had snared a rabbit and had the meat roasting on a spit over the fire, juice sizzling as they splattered into the flames. He didn't look up, eyes shadowed in his long bangs.

It was a silent meal. For the first time, Kaoru was ill at ease with the Wild Boy, not knowing what to say, not certain what had happened between them at the pool, but knowing things would not be quite the same between them again. Her feelings were jumbled and confused, her emotions chaotic. One minute she was light-hearted and happy, and the next she was worried and afraid.

As soon as dinner was over, Kenshin rose to his feet and left the fire. Kaoru watched him walk down the canyon until he was out of sight. Was he angry with her?

She heated the water for the dishes, washed them automatically, her thoughts on Kenshin, always Kenshin. She blushed again, remembering the way he had looked at her at the pool. What had he been thinking?

_You know what he was thinking_, an inner voice chided her testily. Her cheeks grew hotter still. She _had _known what he was thinking. Her heart fluttered wildly with the knowledge that he wanted her.

The thought was both frightening and exhilarating. She had felt the surge of disappointment when he turned and walked away. She'd been certain, just for a moment that he might kiss her, and while she knew it was probably very wicked to wish for such a thing, her whole body still ached for him in a way she didn't quite understand.

The sound of his footsteps made her heart beat fast. A sudden shyness washed over her, and she hurried into the shelter and crawled under the covers, unable to face him, afraid to let him see something in her eyes, hear something in her voice.

He didn't sit on the side of her blanket that night, didn't even sleep in the shelter they built together. Instead, he stayed near the fire, staring into the flames. What was he thinking now? What had happened to the easy camaraderie they had shared?

* * *

Kenshin looked at the fire, but it wasn't the fire he was seeing. It was Kaoru standing near the pool…

He groaned low in his throat. He had never had time for a woman of his own. He had always been too busy making war against the New People, his only purpose to fight off the horde of Enemies. He had thought of nothing else, wanted nothing else, only vengeance against those who captured and slaughtered his people without mercy, justice for the senseless death of his older sister.

His eyes moved toward the shelter, where Kaoru lay sleeping. In a fluid movement, he stood up and moved noiselessly toward her. He paused in the doorway. His heart beat fast.

Other than Sis, he had never known of such love or affection that Kaoru gave so freely. He remembered the way she nursed his wounds, the way she had cried for his pain. Her tears had been unexpected and surprising, touching him deeply.

A New Person, but not an Enemy.

She stirred, and he saw that she was awake and staring up at him. "Is anything wrong?" she asked, a faint note of alarm in her voice.

"No, Kaoru-dono," he answered thickly. "Go…go back to sleep."

She nodded drowsily, trustingly, her eyelids flickering down again.

Kenshin turned and walked quickly in the direction of a pool. A cold swim had never sounded like a better idea.


	9. Love in the Way of Dragons

9  
Love In the Way of Dragons

Kaoru sat beneath a shady tree, smiling as she watched a small bird dust its feathers. Early that morning, Kenshin had left the canyon to go hunting again. In his absence, and this time making very, truly sure that he really was _absent_, she bathed in the pool, washed her hair and then, feeling lazy and content, had settled beneath the gnarled old tree to enjoy the beauty of her surroundings.

And to think about the future.

It had been two days since Kenshin had accidentally walked up on her by the pool. He had seemed preoccupied since then. Often she caught him staring at her, an odd look on his face.

But they were friends again, at least. The uneasiness that had sprung between them that night had disappeared, and she could sometimes pretend she had just imagined it. Never had she been happier than she was now, living with Kenshin. He was sweet and kind and wonderful, and she felt completely safe, even here in the wilderness.

She wondered if her aunt and uncle missed her at all. Probably her uncle would be more upset to discover his father's sword was missing, and his two best horses had been taken. And Aunt Urei would miss her only because she would have to do her own chores from now on.

She shook her head. It was too nice a day to think unpleasant thoughts. Better to think of Kenshin, who was a very pleasant thought instead. She felt that odd little shiver in the pit of her stomach as she summoned his image to mind. She never tired of looking at him, never grew weary of hearing his voice. She hadn't known many men in her life, only a handful who lived and worked on the nearby farms. There had been just few boys her age in town, but her aunt had never let her associate with them except under strict supervision. And then there had been Kamishi…

She grimaced at the thought of him, remembering how he had tried to kiss her and how repulsive it had been.

Kenshin put them all to shame. Old or young, none of the men she had ever met could compare to her Wild Boy…_her Wild Boy_. She liked the sound of that. Hers.

She recalled the nights she'd left her room and made her way to the loft. There, in Kenshin's arms, she had found solace for her troubles. On the days when everything went wrong, when her aunt upbraided every minor fault, when her uncle had been brusque and impatient, Kaoru had looked forward to the few hours she could spend with Kenshin. She could hide in his arms, shed her tears freely, tell him how miserable she was, how awful it was to be unloved. And he had understood. Even when he said nothing, she had seen the sympathy in his eyes, felt it in the way his arms tightened around her, in the soft stroke of his hand on her hair.

This special feeling of closeness, was it love, or merely the ability to empathize with another human being? Why didn't Aunt Urei feel the same toward Uncle Shiji?

She heard the sound of hoof beats echoing between the high canyon walls. Kenshin was back! She jumped to her feet, eager to see him, then froze, a hard knot of fear congealing in her belly as she stared at the riders coming toward her. No, it was not Kenshin at all.

The four men exchanged grins as they reined their horses to a halt a short distance from where Kaoru was standing alone under the tree. The leader, a barrel-chested man with a bristly black heard and greasy black hair, learned forward on his horse.

His close-set brown eyes swept over her and then perused the camp, noting there was only one horse grazing nearby. "You all alone, Miss?"

Kaoru shook her head mutely.

"She's alone," another said confidently. "Let's take her and go before her man returns."

The leader nodded. "Takuho, get her."

Kaoru backed away as an incredibly tall man slid from the back of his horse and walked purposefully toward her. "Come on, Girly," he called as Kaoru backpedaled. "You might as well come along peaceful-like. There's no place for you to go."

Hoping by some miracle that Kenshin might be in hearing distance, Kaoru shouted out as the man's huge hand closed on her forearm. He didn't even flinch, easily tossing her over his shoulder, mounting his horse, and dropping her, none too gently, in front of him. She squirmed as his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Nijiya," the leader called. "Get her horse."

This was a bad dream. She had fallen asleep, napping in the sun, and she was now having a nightmare. Then she felt her captor's hand caress her upper arm, felt his beard-roughened jaw against her cheek, and she knew that it was real.

They rode out of the canyon, with Takuho and Kaoru bringing up the rear. One of the four men stayed behind.

"To take care of your man," Takuho informed her.

"No," Kaoru gritted, struggling all the harder as she pictured Kenshin riding into the canyon unawares, being shot down in cold blood.

Takuho laughed softly. "We don't want him to come looking for you and spoil our fun, now do we?"

"What do you mean?"

"We try all the girls before we sell them off."

"S-sell--?"

"Yeah. They pay big money for nice, fresh girls, and they don't mind if they're a little used, if you know what I mean."

* * *

Kenshin paused at the canyon entrance. Something was amiss.

His eyes swept the canyon floor, immediately picking up fresh tracks. Four horses had entered the canyon. Four horses had left. But not the same four horses. One had been Kaoru's big roan.

Kenshin dismounted to get a better look at the tracks, and then he heard the sound of a gunshot echoing off the canyon walls.

He dropped to his knees, swung toward the sound of the report. A man was bearing down on him, a rifle in his hands, a shrill war cry on his lips.

"Feh," Kenshin murmured, standing, his sword sliding free from the sheath almost lazily. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu…_Doryusen_--"

The massive airways of the attack scoured the ground, and the Enemy fell under a mighty barrage of rocks and earth.

Not pausing to look over the body, Kenshin jerked the deer carcass from across his buckskin's withers and vaulted back onto the horse's back. He galloped back to his camp, a deathly grimace across his features. Kaoru! She'd better be all right. If they'd harmed her--

The signs of the intruders were easy to read. Four men came in and three had left, taking Kaoru with them and leading her horse. The fourth man had been left behind for him.

Kenshin reigned the buckskin in a tight, rearing turn and thundered back the way he had come, his narrowed eyes fixed on the ground. These men had ridden into his camp and laid hands on his woman, and for that they would die.

* * *

Kaoru was numb from riding by the time her abductors stopped for the night. The sun was setting, and she shivered as a cold northeasterly wind blew across the land, chasing away the sun's warmth.

She looked over her shoulder repeatedly as they rode away from the canyon, hoping every time to see Kenshin riding toward them.

"You're wasting your time," the man called Takuho had told her more than once. "He's dead by now."

Takuho lifted her from his horse, trussed her hands and feet together. His fingers drifted to places they shouldn't have as he stopped to whisper in her ear, assuring her he would be gentle when his time came.

Kaoru glared at him. It wasn't going to happen. Kenshin was _not _dead. He was coming after her, and then these men would be sorry.

Around her, the three of them laughed and joked as they set their horses out to graze, built a fire, threw bits of meat into a cooking pot.

The man called Nijiya strolled toward her some time later, offering her something to eat, but Kaoru only glowered at him, baring teeth, the only defense she had left to her, when his hand strayed too close to her hair. He raised his eyebrows, but understood the message and backed off for now.

But it was only a temporary respite. The leader of the men sauntered over shortly after Nijiya moved away from her. He gestured at the food that had been left for her. "Better eat," he advised. You'll need your strength."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded.

"Why?" The man looked at her as if she were slightly addled. "For the money, of course. Pretty little one like you is worth a fair amount in coin or trade. Then, too, it's a good way for me and my boys to sample a wide variety of goods without having to pay for it."

Minutes passed, and Kaoru watched the crude, vulgar men sitting around their fire, wolfing down their meat.

Were these the kinds of men that Kenshin had been used to fighting? Men who cared nothing for the ones that they hurt, only focused on their own gain and pleasure? Were these the kinds of men that harmed Kenshin's sister, that still continued to hunt down the drake people and looked down on the Wild People of Kenshin's kind?

If so, then perhaps they did deserve anything they got from the dragons that fought them at every turn.

A loud, joyful cry came from the group, and Kaoru jerked her head around as Takuho leaped to his feet. He was grinning from ear to ear as he gestured at a pair of dice on the ground.

"I wouldn't have minded going last," he drawled to his companions. "But first is going to be a hell of a lot better."

Her bravado was draining away fast as he towered over her, his huge hands fumbling with the ties of his belt, eyes glazed over with lust. As he bent toward her, Kaoru bit down on the scream rising in her throat, lashing out with her bound feet at his shins.

He swore violently as her foot struck his knee. He retaliated swiftly, open palm striking her cheek so hard it made her eyes water and her ears ring.

Still she continued to struggle against the ropes that held her, gasped when Takuho grabbed hold of the hem of her kimono, beginning to tug it up around her hips, not even bothering with the obi. She clenched her teeth together, hearing the other two men egg him on, and she felt an overwhelming sense of defeat…when this one was finished with her, there would be two more to take his place.

He made a mistake when he tried to kiss her. She gagged when she felt his tongue trying to invade her mouth, and unmindful of the consequences, she bit down on him. There was only a moment to feel victory when he yelped and drew away. Calling her a foul name, he slapped her again, much harder than the first time.

From far away, she heard the sound of ribald laughter, heard the other two men exchange amused remarks about the fact that one little girl was giving a man as large as Takuho so much trouble.

Kaoru closed her eyes again as he reached for her.

Nijiya shouted something. She heard the crackle of flames as more wood was tossed on the fire. Then she heard three gunshots, the second and third coming hard on the heels of the first, so that the shots all blended into one long, rolling explosion. There was a strong wind and a loud groan near her ear, something warm and sticky splattered over her face and neck. Then were was only silence, louder than the sound of gunfire, and a great heaviness across her lower body.

Her heart was pounding when she finally dared open her eyes. In terror, she saw Takuho sprawled across her thighs. Frozen, she could only stare at the blood that soaked the ground and stained her legs. The blood of a dead man. And he was very, very dead. His eyes were wide and staring, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

And now another man stood before her, a shadowy man with eyes filled with smoldering rage. There was no recognition when she looked at him, only gut-wrenching fear.

She began to scream hysterically as he rolled the dead man off her, then knelt beside her and gathered her into his arms.

"No! No!" Her bound hands clenched into fists and she pummeled at his solid chest, her eyes filling with tears, her voice growing hoarse as she screamed for him to leave her alone.

Gently, yet firmly, her flailing fists were grasped in one of his hands. Sitting back on his heels, he drew her into his lap, cut the ropes that bound her hands and feet with his sword.

"Please be still, Kaoru-dono," he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "I am here now. No one will hurt you."

The sound of his voice calmed her and she stared at him, still not comprehending.

"Don't cry, Kaoru-dono." His hand stroked her hair in that warm, familiar way. "It's all right. The men who took you from me are dead. They will not hurt you again."

"Kenshin?" She blinked at him through her tears, the terror that had gripped her slipped away as the sound of his voice penetrated the stark horror.

"Yes. I'm here."

"Oh, Kenshin," she sobbed, burying her face against his shoulder. "Kenshin, I…I…"

She felt him nod. "I know, Kaoru-dono. I know."

Her arms crept around his wait, clinging to him with all her strength. Kenshin murmured to her softly, his hands stroking her back, until she fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

Kenshin carefully lifted Kaoru and carried her away from the Enemies' camp. His horse was tethered several yards away in a grove of trees, and he left her there, sleeping on the soft grass.

He went back to the camp and went though the gear he found there. Since it would no longer be of use to the dead men, he took their foodstuff, blankets, and cooking utensils. He found a lot of coin on them as well. He examined the bits of metal for a moment before shrugging and dropping the purses of it into his war bags. He wouldn't have much use for the coins, but he knew the New People thought a lot of them, traded them for food and other things. There might be a time when they would come in handy.

When he had gathered everything he considered useful, he tossed the war bags and blankets over his shoulder and made his way back to Kaoru. It didn't cross his mind to bury the dead men. The wolves and the scavengers would be along soon to see to that in their own way. Carrion didn't last long in the wilderness.

Kaoru was still asleep. Gently, he washed the blood from her face, neck, and legs, drew her kimono down and straightened it carefully, then covered her with one of the heavy wool blankets.

He hunkered down on his heels beside her. The image of the Enemy bending over her flashed through his mind, grimacing as he killed the man over again in his mind. He had cut them all down, the way he would have killed marauding animals. That's what they were, animals, not men.

Resting his sword on his shoulder, he rested his back against a tree, turning his eyes up to look at the stars.

He hadn't been there to save his sister from men like that, but he would be there to protect Kaoru.

* * *

Birdsong woke her from her sleep.

She blinked at the sun shining overhead, then quickly sat up as she recalled the night before. Kenshin…he had come for her. Where was he now?

Scrambling to her feet, she opened her mouth to call his name, but then she saw him. He was standing several feet away, his back toward her, his face lifted toward the rising sun.

He stood there for a long time, and Kaoru wondered what he was doing.

Abruptly, he turned and saw her. Then he was striding toward her, and she felt again that peculiar catch in her heart, that odd stirring in the pit of her stomach.

He was smiling, his eyes more gentle that she had ever seen them before. "Kaoru-dono. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." She glanced around, but there was no sign of the dead men. She realized Kenshin had carried her away from their camp so she wouldn't have to see the bodies. She smiled at him, grateful for his thoughtfulness. "What were you doing over there?"

"I was talking to my sister."

"Oh," she said softly.

He looked at her a moment, his eyes a little wider, a little softer. "I…almost lost you to them the same way I lost her," he said, almost inaudibly.

"But you didn't," she said quickly, hurting for the emotion she saw lurking in the backs of his eyes. I'm all right, Kenshin. You saved me. I'm here, see?"

She held out a hand and he took it, tracing patterns on her palm with his thumb. "Yes, I see. You are very real."

"Wild Boy," Kaoru murmured breathlessly. "You make me feel so strange."

A slow smile crept over his face. "Do I, Love?"

Sweetness as she had never known flowed through her views, filling her heart. She thought it might burst before it could contain the joy.

She swayed toward him, her cheek resting on his chest, her body pressing against his, delighting in the solidness and subtle strength of him, in the sound of his heart beating near her ear. His hands slid down her arms and his mouth was pressed to the top of he head.

"Kaoru." His voice was husky, and she felt his hands tremble as they came to rest on her shoulders.

She lifted her head, meeting his eyes. It was suddenly hard to breathe. Her lips parted, tongue darting out to lick away the dryness.

Kenshin let out a long breath and then, as if surrendering to an urge he could no longer deny, he kissed her.

Kaoru's eyelids fluttered down as his mouth closed over hers. His hands circled her waist possessively, protectively. His kiss deepened. Kaoru gave herself over to the sheer pleasure of it, all her senses reeling as sensation after sensation flooded her. Her legs went weak, and she might have fallen but for his arms tightly holding her to him. Her heart was pounding wildly, so loud in her ears she could hear nothing else. The tip of his tongue teased the sensitive skin on the inside of her lower lip and she shuddered with delight. _Oh, Kenshin, you make me feel so strange._

Kenshin closed his eyes as he tasted the sweetness of her. His blood was singing, and he was filled with the scent of her. Never had he wanted woman more, and yet, despite her fullness and soft curves, she was still untouched, innocent.

"Kaoru," he said thickly. "You must tell me to stop before it's too late."

She didn't understand. He read the confusion in her eyes, knew she yearned for him to give her that which she desired but, didn't fully understand.

Clenching his jaw, he put his hands on her shoulders and held her way from him. If only she were not a maiden. If only she were not so young. If only he didn't want her so desperately…

"Kenshin?"

He let out a long, shuttering sigh. "I…I think we should prepare the morning meal," he rasped, though food was the last thing he wanted. "I'll get your horse."

Kaoru stared after him as he turned and walked quickly away. In wonder, she lifted her fingertips to her lips, a little awed by the powerful emotions his kiss had aroused in her. Was…was she bad, to feel this way? Surely her aunt would think so. Why, then, did she feel such elation?

Thirty minutes later, they were riding toward the canyon. Kenshin was mounted on one of the dead mens' horses, a big black gelding with a blaze face and a spotted rump. It was a beautiful animal, and Kaoru thought it suited him perfectly.

When they reached the canyon, Kenshin retrieved the deer he'd killed. Scavengers and gnawed on the carcass, but there was plenty of meat left, and after he cut away the portion where the animals had eaten, he sliced the meat into long strips and hung it from a tree to dry.

He spent several days tanning the hide, curing it until it was soft and pliable. Kaoru watched, amazed, as the rough hide was transformed into a piece of material that felt like velvet.

Their comfort improved considerably with the addition of the food and utensils Kenshin had collected. They had enough blankets to make two comfortable beds (even if Kenshin only slept lying down once in a while) and even a few spices for their meals.

Kenshin hadn't touched her since that one soul-stirring kiss. He was careful to stay away from the pool when he knew she was there, careful to keep his distance inside the shelter at night.

They had been back in the canyon just over a week when one night Kaoru woke screaming from a nightmare. Kenshin was instantly by her side, his voice reaching out to her in the darkness as his arms drew her close.

"I'm here, Kaoru-dono," he crooned, rocking her in his arms as if she were a small child. "I am here."

"Those men were chasing me!" she babbled into his shirt. "They were chasing me, and no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't get away! Kenshin, they caught me, and I…I cried for you, but you never came. You never came."

"I will _always _come for you," Kenshin promised fiercely. His lips brushed her hair, her forehead, the gentle curve of her tear-stained cheek. "Don't think of it any more. It was only a bad dream."

She sniffed, her eyes wide and intent on his face as she shyly placed her hand on his cheek, let her fingers trace the outline of his cheekbone and the curve of his jaw.

Her touch raced through him like a grassland fire. With a low groan he grasped her shoulders, drew her against him, and he kissed her again, his mouth fierce and possessive.

His kiss was long, filled with all the wanting, all the need he had been holding in check, and she surrendered to him. Or was it that she joined him, melded into him? Or was _he _surrendering to _her_, joining _her_?

_What am I doing, what am I doing, _what am I doing_? What I'm doing…I'm loving her. I want her. Right or wrong, I want her._

One of them was trembling, but he wasn't sure which. Perhaps both of them as he lifted himself away from her. Giving her one last chance to change her mind, he said, "Are you sure, Kaoru? Are you really, truly sure? If I take you now, you'll be my woman according to the laws of my people. You'll be my wife, and I will never let you go."

He waited for he answer, for the words that would either send him to heaven or plunge him straight to hell. He needed her light now, her sweetness, the softness and gentle words and touches that he hadn't known in so long. He needed the way she washed the blood from his mind, made the fighting seem far away and unimportant. He wanted to lie in her arms, listen to her voice, wake up with her every morning, fall asleep with her every night. If she said no…oh, God, if she said no…

She smiled up at him. Her hands moved up his arms, across his shoulders, and locking them behind his neck she drew his mouth to hers.

"Are you sure?" he asked again when they parted to breathe, needing to hear the words as well. "I am a brother of dragons, Kaoru-dono. There is so much you don't know--"

"Then I'll learn it," she said, putting a finger over his lips to silence him. "Kenshin, _I am sure_."

The shadows swayed again and again. The night's music was sweeter somehow, but also more hushed at the same time.

This night, a man who hadn't known happiness in years opened his heart and let in all he would ever need. This night, he took a wife.


	10. Vows

10  
Vows

Kenshin woke with the dawn to find Kaoru's body nestled against his. Her hair spread across his chest and arm. He lifted a lock of it between his thumb and forefinger and drew it across his mouth.

Last night, he had made her his woman for all time, and it had been unlike anything he imagined, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. She had been shy but bold, hesitant but curious, modest but passionate.

So she was his now, his woman, his to provide for, his to defend, his to love…

He opened his eyes to find her gazing at him through her lashes. Her cheeks blossomed with color as his eyes met hers.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

She nodded. Kenshin frowned at her silence. Did she…regret what they had done?

"Are you sorry?"

"No," she said quickly, firmly.

Kenshin stared at her another moment, studying the play of emotions on her face, then smiled as he realized that she was just feeling a little shy now.

"Would you like to bathe?"

She nodded, a very adorable shade of red now.

"I could use a bath too." He threw the covers aside and rolled nimbly to his feet. "Come," he said, offering her his hand. "We'll bathe together."

"Together?"

"You're my wife now," he reminded her, smiling with pride. "You don't have any need to be modest or ashamed with me. You're beautiful, my love. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Have you seen very many?" Kaoru asked, modesty pressed back by sudden peevishness.

He grinned at her jealousy. "No, not many."

"One other would be too many," she muttered as she reached for his hand. She shivered with pleasure as his long fingers closed over hers, shrieking when she was swiftly pulled to her feet, and then they were running toward the pool.

Kaoru shrieked as Kenshin lifted her into his arms and carried her into the water, squealed as the cold closed over her.

"_Kenshin_!" she yelped, and then in revenge she splashed him vigorously.

Seconds later, they were engaged in a brisk water fight that ended abruptly when Kenshin grabbed her from behind, his arms hugging her against his chest. "_My love_," he whispered, nuzzling her hair.

She made a wordless noise of happiness, turning in his arms, lifting her face for a kiss. He gave it to her, then lifted her once again, carrying her toward the shore. Near the water's edge, he laid her gently down, his body covering hers as he rained feather-soft kisses on her mouth and nose and eyes, down the slender column of her throat. All the while he murmured to her, telling her she was beautiful, that he loved her, would always love her. And he meant it, every word, with all his heart.

It was a long time later when they parted. They washed again, took a long swim, and then returned to their camp.

* * *

The day passed blissfully. They ate breakfast, went for a long walk, made love beneath the shade of a gnarled tree, wrestled like a pair of dragon pups, took a nap in each other's arms. And woke with a kiss, each hoping that all their days would be as wonderful.

Kaoru went to sleep each night with a heart full of love for the man at her side. He treated her like she was the most wonderful creature in the world. He never raised his voice, never grew impatient, never ridiculed her. She was constantly amazed at how much he knew, how easily he provided for their needs. He could tell her which animal had left which tracks, he knew where to hunt for wild vegetables and herbs, he taught her how to cure hide.

Every day was an adventure, and each night a new lesson in love. She never tired of his caresses. He had only to touch her and she came alive, her heart fluttering with joy, her skin tingling and warm, her lips eager to receive his. He explored her body from head to heel, awakening the passion that slept within her. Sometimes, at first, she was embarrassed by the way her body responded to his touch, but Kenshin assured her there was nothing to be ashamed of. They were married now, and there should be no secrets between them.

Gradually, Kaoru's curiosity overcame her shyness and she began to explore Kenshin in turn, marveling anew at the sheer beauty of the man, the perfection of his face and form. She never tired of looking at him, enthralled by his wonderfully handsome features, the symmetry of his physique.

As her modesty waned, she began to feel pride in the fact that Kenshin found her desirable, that he wanted her, that he found pleasure in the touch of her hands. It gave her a sense of power, that her kisses made him tremble with desire, and she began to grow more bold, openly flirting with him, exercising her feminine wiles, teasing him mercilessly until he took her in his arms and turned the tables on her.

They lived and loved through the warm summer days, giving no thought to the future as they lived from sun to sun, taking each moment as it came.

They explored the canyon, walking barefoot through the grass, pausing to watch the antics of a squirrel, or reclining on the grass to gaze at the sky. And, more often than not, they ended up loving each other beneath the bold blue sky, unable to keep their hands off each other, unable to be close without touching.

They swam in the pool every day. Kaoru drew back, shocked, the first time Kenshin took the soap from her hand and began to wash her. Bathing was a private thing. But he quickly shushed her protests and she thought she had never experienced anything quite so wonderful as having her husband bathe her.

When he gave back the soap, she returned the favor, and it was a wonderful feeling, to rub her soapy hands along his chest and shoulders, down his arms, across his scarred back. She wickedly enjoyed seeing his eyes grow smoky with passion, feel his body tremble against hers.

She had never known such joy, such total abandon, such blissful fulfillment.

* * *

They had been in the canyon for about six weeks when Kenshin told her they would have to leave.

"Leave? Why?"

"We're almost out of food, Love, and there's not enough grass to feed the horses through the winter."

Kaoru nodded. They had six horses now, the two they had taken from her uncle and the four that had belonged to the horrible men that had tried to kidnap her. Glancing around, she saw that the grass was already turning yellow. The trees, so green when they had first arrived, were now taking on the bright red-gold hues of autumn.

"Where will we go?"

"To the drake people," he said simply.

Kaoru felt apprehension stirring in her. The drake people…dragons and Wild People. All the stories she had ever been told of them came floating to mind.

But knowing Kenshin now, she could see those tales of dragons feasting on human flesh and savage humans pillaging the homes of decent, civilized people were entirely false.

Still…she was a New Person. Only a couple of generations ago, her ancestors had come across the sea in ships, seeking adventure, wealth, and a new kind of life. Sheltered as she had been, Kaoru couldn't deny that her people had a higher mind for greed, and were far more arrogant than Kenshin's. None of his people ever took on slaves. His people didn't slaughter hers for the medicines and poisons that could be made from their blood and flesh.

Her people had accomplishments to be proud of, but there was a lot to be ashamed of as well. Would his people hate her for it? She didn't know if she would be able to bear living in a village of angry stares.

She looked at Kenshin, and found him looking back.

"You'd rather go somewhere else?" he asked gently.

"Yes."

"Where?"

She didn't have an answer for that.

"We really don't have anywhere else to go, Beloved."

"I'm afraid, Kenshin."

"My people won't harm you."

'They won't like me, either."

Kenshin let out a long breath, becoming bogged in this worry. There was some truth to what his wife said. In the past, his people had accepted the Newcomers without much of a fuss. After all, drakes had lived with humans for a long time, and how different were the New People from their own humans?

But now, with more of them crowding the land, killing their dragons, breaking any and all accords that were forged between them, most New People were deeply hated.

But where else _could _they go? He couldn't live among the Enemy. He had escaped from the road gang, had killed a New Person, Kamishi. They would be looking for him. They were probably looking for Kaoru as well.

"It'll only be for the winter," he said. "In the spring, perhaps we'll return to this place."

Kenshin saw her nod in agreement, but he could also see that her heart was heavy. It would be difficult to live among people who may very well regard her as Enemy.

That was a feeling he knew well.

"How soon will we have to leave?"

He had intended to leave their canyon in the morning, but seeing the distress on Kaoru's face, and knowing how she loved their home here, he changed his mind. "We'll stay two more days."

Two days. It wasn't much, but he would help her make the best of them.

* * *

Kenshin held her close that night. Knowing that she was upset because they had to leave, he loved her sweetly, telling her with his kisses and each gentle touch that he loved her, that he would take care of her, that she didn't need the approval of others. He hoped that would be enough, hoped that her love for him was strong enough to see them through the coming months.

Kaoru felt a sense of loss as they rode out of the canyon when the two days had passed. She had been very, truly happy there.

The next few days were arduous and long. They spent hours on horseback, slept under the stars at night. Winter was in the air, the days were cool, the nights cold. Their food supplies were nearly gone save for jerky.

"I'll hunt tomorrow," Kenshin said as he held Kaoru closely that night to keep her warm. "I'm tired of dried meat."

She nodded drowsily, then she heard him laugh quietly. "My sister was a better hunter than I am. If she was here, she'd leave now and come back in an hour with any game we asked for."

Kaoru couldn't help but smile. A man was admitting that a female was a better hunter than he, that female being a dragon notwithstanding.

* * *

Kenshin watched Kaoru sleep. Kaoru, his woman-child. She was a rare creature, so much a woman in his arms, yet still so trusting and childlike in other ways. He wanted to love her, to protect her from harm, to let her see only good things in this life.

And yet, he knew better than anyone that that was impossible. There could be no love without hate, no goodness without evil, no joy without sorrow.

He wrapped a lock of her hair around his hand. He was taking her to his people, where acceptance may indeed be difficult to find… Maybe he was making a mistake, keeping her with him… But how could he let her go?

Among dragons, mental bonds were formed between mates, and though he had no such powers, he was connected as deeply as any drake could be to his life-mate. To lose her now…he would not be able to survive. He smiled up at the stars. He had just created a very great weakness in himself, but, what else was there to do? It was much too late now.

These many years, he had been fighting for right of his people to live, but had not been "living" himself. Now he was alive, more alive that he had ever known a person could be. He could never go back to the way it was before. It was either this life, this love with Kaoru, or death. There was no turning back, never.

He brushed a kiss across her cheek. She made a sleepy sound as she snuggled closer to him, her head nestling against his shoulder.

* * *

Kaoru hummed cheerfully as she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Kenshin had gone hunting, leaving her to gather up the camp and pack their gear.

She looked at the vast grassland that surrounded her, wondering when Kenshin would return, and then felt her stomach clench. Riders. One minute the plains spread endlessly before her, nothing but empty land, and the next a dozen riders appeared out of a shallow draw.

Kaoru stared at them as they rode toward her. The were uniformed similarly. A law band! Her firsts clenched as they drew rein, boxing her neatly between them.

A tall, handsome young man examined her campsite with cool gray eyes, saw the horses grazing nearby, the bedrolls spread near the remains of the fire. He nodded as his gaze fastened on her.

"Good morning, Miss," he said.

Kaoru nodded, her heart slamming against her ribcage. She had to get these men out of here before Kenshin got back. But how?

The gray-eyed man pulled a sheet of paper from his jacket pocket, studied it for a moment before refolding it and putting it away. "Where is he, Kaoru-san? The Wild Boy who abducted you?"

So she _had _been looked for. There was no time to curse the fact that he had correctly guessed who she was. "He left early this morning to go hunting," she answered, mind racing. She forced a smile onto her face. "Could we go now before he gets back?"

The last thing she wanted was to desert Kenshin, but it would be far better than the chaos that would ensue if he returned with all of these men waiting.

"You don't need to worry," he assured her. "Everything will be all right now." He glanced at his men, who sat on their horses easily, looking to him for command.

"My men and I are going to take cover in that draw," he said. "We'll catch him when he shows up." He smiled. "Don't worry, Miss. We'll protect you."

"Thank you," Kaoru said, trying to sound appreciative. Her first ploy had failed. Now all she could do was try to warn Kenshin about the law band.

A hour passed, and she ran out of things to occupy her hands. What was there to do?

These men, they weren't bad men. Kenshin might kill them because they had come looking for him and for her, because they were Enemy, because they were going to try to take her away. He probably wouldn't give it much thought, and from his point of view, couldn't be blamed for his actions. They would kill him instead at the first excuse.

But still, these men weren't _bad men_. They were only doing their jobs. They thought they were rescuing a woman who had been kidnapped from her home. They would never understand that Kaoru had helped him escape, ran away with him. That she was his wife now. They didn't deserve to die.

There had to be a way that everyone could walk out of this, unharmed. But as she sat jitterily on her saddle blanket, a nerve-snap away from wringing her hands, Kaoru could not think of one way.

She stood up when she saw Kenshin riding toward her, a deer carcass slung over his horse's rump. Frightened as she was, she still couldn't help noticing how he sat astride the big black gelding, how well he rode, as though he were a part of the animal.

She looked over her shoulder, wondering if the law band had seen him.

She was about to call out to him when they exploded from the draw.

For a moment, time stood still. Kaoru saw the look of surprise on Kenshin's face as he stared at her. Then it changed suddenly into an expression of horrible, abject hurt that made tears spring to her eyes as she realized he thought she had betrayed him.

Oh, God, what had it looked like? Her standing out here, not even trying to warn him anything was wrong. The way she looked over her shoulder, he could see that she was expecting it to happen!

Guns were leveled at him as he slid from his horse, but he ignored them, still staring at her and only her. She heard voices from far away telling him to drop his sword.

With the distance between them, their bullets probably might not mean much. She held her breath, waiting for Kenshin to move, to start plowing through them with his blade.

But he didn't.

The gray-eyed young man steadily repeated for him to drop his weapon and surrender, not willing to shoot Kenshin if he didn't have to. Kaoru hoped at least the gray-eyed man's death would be quick.

Still it didn't happen.

Then, to Kaoru's complete and utter shock, she watched as Kenshin slid his sword, still in its sheath, from his belt and dropped it. She stared at it a moment as it hit the ground, her mind working, trying to understand what this meant.

Then she looked back to his face, and saw just how dull his eyes had become. Lifeless, withdrawn…deadened. He didn't even react when they advanced on him cautiously, fingers heavy on the triggers of their guns.

What had she done to him? What had she been thinking? She should have been yelling her head off the second she saw him, pointing in the direction where the party had lain hidden, anything! But, it still didn't seem right that they should die! Some of these men had kind faces, some of them probably had families, wives and children who needed them.

But…Kenshin's eyes…he…

He gave up.

He thought she had betrayed him…and, like there was nothing left to fight for, he gave up!

* * *

The next few days were unreal. They rode from sunup until sundown until dusk across vast, empty land. The long hours on horseback were hard on Kaoru. Her back and legs ached constantly. Her shoulders grew weary, her back stiff.

She tried to watch Kenshin as much as she could. He rode with his head bowed, his bangs hanging over his face. Though his hands were cuffed behind his back, he rode easily, his legs gripping the horse's sides, his body moving with the rhythm of the horse. Once, she would have admired the skill of him, the quiet inner strength that was as much a part of him as the color of his hair…but now he looked like he had died inside, and was simply waiting for his body to realize it.

The law band were a taciturn bunch, hard-eyed and trail-weary. They treated Kaoru with the utmost respect and courtesy, making certain she had enough to eat, privacy when she needed it, the smoothest stretch of ground for her bedroll at night. They were careful of their language in her presence. And their leader, who said his name was Ataru, especially took care to see that she was comfortable. When she saw that she was tired or thirsty, he called a halt so she could rest or ease her thirst.

And again, she would consider that it didn't seem right that they would have had to die if she had done more to warn Kenshin.

But then, as considerate as they were to Kaoru, they almost seemed to counteract their actions by being just the opposite to Kenshin. He was their enemy, a Wild Boy, dangerous and not to be trusted, even if he was impassive and unresponsive at the moment. There were always at least four of the men guarding him, guns trained on him at all times, making sure he had no chance to escape, even if he didn't seem to care enough to try.

Only a few times did they free his hands so he could eat, with one man always standing directly behind him with a rifle touching the back of his head, but when Kenshin didn't bother to even touch the food they stopped bothering, just leaving him be.

Kaoru was desperate to get close to him, to have just a moment alone to explain herself, but it was impossible. They wouldn't allow her anywhere near him, or to speak to him, or to even bring him water like she used to when he was on the road gang.

She studied his face whenever his guards moved enough for her to do so, trying to determine what he was thinking or feeling. But his face was usually veiled by his hair, eyes hidden away from her. He had withdrawn into himself, shutting out the rest of the world and her with it.

And it hurt horribly to see him that way. Had he really loved her so much that believing that she had deceived him had so completely destroyed his will to live?

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she ignored Ataru when he asked her what was wrong. She had to find a way to fix this!

They arrived in a town called Seiyo, which she found was the home base for the law band and one of the larger cities on this side of the territory.

Four of the men escorted Kenshin to the jail. He went as peacefully and uninterestedly as he came, and Kaoru's heart ached, as she watched the ends of his long ponytail slide across his back as he walked.

"Would you like to get settled in the inn first, or send a message to your uncle, Kaoru-san?" Ataru asked politely.

"The…the inn, please," Kaoru said. She glanced down at her travel-stained kimono. "I'd like to clean up a bit."

He nodded. "May I escort you there?"

Kaoru hesitated. "Yes, thank you."

"I imagine you must be anxious to return to your uncle."

"Yes, of course," Kaoru lied.

"If he can't see his way clear to come after you, I'd be pleased to see you safely home."

Kaoru swallowed several times, feeling a little sick to her stomach. No, this kind young man didn't deserve death at the Wild Boy's blade just for doing this job, but Kenshin didn't deserve what was happening to him either! What could she have done differently? What could she do now!?

She looked up suddenly, realizing that Ataru was being more than just polite, offering to go out of his way to escort her back to her uncle's farm.

"Your job--" she began slowly.

"I've got some time off coming," he said. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my vacation than spend it accompanying a pretty young lady home."

"Yes, well…I…that is, I'll have to get in touch with my uncle first."

"Of course."

They arrived at the inn. Ataru opened the door for her and followed her inside. Kaoru had never been inside an inn before and she was uncertain how to go about obtaining a room, but Ataru took care of it for her, speaking to the clerk, signing her name in the register.

"I'll have the clerk send some hot water so you can clean up," he offered.

"Thank you. You've been very kind."

"No trouble at all. I'll have one of my men bring your gear to the hotel after we stable the horses." He fidgeted. "Do you…uh, have you--?"

"Yes?"

"The room," he said. "If you can't pay for it, I'll take care of it for you."

"Thank you, but I have some money."

"What about dinner?"

"What about it?"

"Would you mind eating with me, say about seven?"

Kaoru licked her lips, the edges of an idea forming. "All right," she agreed.

Smiling broadly, Ataru bowed politely. "I'll see you then."

Kaoru nodded, wondering if she should have refused him anyway. She didn't want to get involved with Ataru, though he appeared to be a decent man. But she had a plan, and it would be suspicious if she refused to see him again.

She forgot about him as she stepped into her room. It was large and clean, and soon the promised hot water was brought to her.

Her mind worked so hard it gave her a headache. She had to get Kenshin out.

* * *

Kenshin sat in the middle of the narrow cell. He had a vague thought, the only worded one he had had in days, that was glad his sister wasn't here right now, because she wouldn't have been able to stand the smell of old sweat and urine in this place with her powerful sense of smell.

Another thing had clawed its way through his numb shell. They had taken away the handcuffs and put leg irons on him again. Dimly but persistently, they tugged at his nerves with their familiarity.

Then, slowly, another thought made itself known.

Where was Kaoru?

They wouldn't trust him on the road gang ever again. It was as lucky as it would be unlucky if he escaped execution for killing Kamishi, but death was certainly more welcome than spending the rest of his life in one of these little cells, never to see the higher lands again, never to be free of the shackles, never to hold Kaoru again…

He whispered her name to himself, too unsteady to even curse his weakness. Even after all of this, his heart was still filled with her smile, her laughter, the shape and scents and colors of the canyon where he had been so happy.

He lifted his head slightly as he thought he heard her voice, drifting to him from somewhere outside.

He got up and found a small crate in the corner, meant to be used as a seat or a table, and carried it under the window so he could stand on it and see outside. His eyes widened when he saw Kaoru walking across the street with Ataru, the leader of the law band. He was smiling down at her. And she was smiling back.

He stared at the two of them until the disappeared inside another building. He stepped off the box and slid down the wall to sit on his heels, his teeth so tightly clenched it made his jaw ache. Agony ripped through him, more painful than anything he had ever known.

_Kaoru…why?_

* * *

Kaoru didn't object when Ataru took her arm as they crossed the street toward the restaurant. In truth, she was hardly aware of him, concerned as she was for Kenshin. She glanced down the street toward the jail, wishing with all her might that she could go to him, to see if he was all right.

The restaurant was small but nice, but she barely noticed it, either. She sat with her hand in her lap as Ataru ordered the meal, forced herself to listen attentively as he told her of his life, how he had been in a law band for ten years. He had a sister and three older brothers. His brothers were also in law bands. His sister was married to a lawyer.

"You're a very law-abiding family," Kaoru commented, wondering what Ataru might say if he knew she was planning to break Kenshin out of jail that very night.

The meal passed pleasantly, though Kaoru hardly tasted a thing. Just the thought of what she was planning to do had her stomach twisted up in knots.

Ataru seemed a little surprised when she told him she hadn't sent word to her uncle.

"I'll do it first thing in the morning," Kaoru said. "I meant to take care of it this afternoon, but I…I fell asleep."

He nodded. "I understand. I guess you've had a pretty rough time of it the last couple of months."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Kaoru said tightly, wishing she and Kenshin had never, ever left the canyon.

Ataru smiled sympathetically. "Sure. Would you care for some dessert?"

"No, thank you."

Later they walked down the main street, stopping now and then to look into this window or that. Kaoru stared at the goods displayed without really seeing them, her thoughts on Kenshin. The prospect of seeing him again bolstered her courage as she thought about getting him out of his prison. It would take some nerve, but she'd risk anything to free him, even if he…even if he didn't want her anymore after this.

She bid Ataru goodnight at the inn and hurried to her room. Inside, she searched through the gear that had been brought up to her earlier that day until she found a pistol she had hidden in there.

Kenshin didn't appreciate firearms, largely because he was a swordsman, but partly because they were weapons New People used. But Kaoru had felt maybe having one or two around and a little ammunition, lifted from the campsite of the dead men that had tried to take her from the canyon, might not be an unwise idea. What if Kenshin ever got sick or injured, and she had to hunt for food or had to protect herself? So she'd sacked it away and kept it safe from dust, damp, or rain in case there was ever a time when the weapon might be useful.

If now it couldn't be useful, it never would be.

She checked to make sure it was loaded, then set it aside, gathered their gear and dropped it near the door. She took up Kenshin's sword, which had been returned to her when she had explained that it had been her uncle's, slid it through her own obi to carry along with her. Then she sat down to wait.

The time passed very slowly. She heard the clock that was by the clerk's desk outside her room strike ten, eleven, twelve, and then, finally, one.

It was time to go.

* * *

Kaoru made her way down the quiet street, keeping to the shadows, the gun hidden in the folds of her kimono. All the shops were dark and closed tight. Her heart was hammering wildly by the time she reached the jail. She looked around to make sure she was alone before he opened the door and stepped inside.

A lamp burned low on the desk. A man she recognized from the law band was asleep in the chair, chin resting on his chest.

Kaoru paused, wondering if she should wake him up or not when he woke up by himself with a start. Seeing Kaoru, he sprang to his feet.

"Can I help you, Miss?" he asked politely.

"Yes," Kaoru said, just as politely, lifting the gun and aiming it at his chest. "Would you please unlock the door and let my Wild Boy out?"

"Let him out?" the man repeated, blinking at her. "I…I can't let him out."

"Well, you better," she threatened. She thumbed back the hammer, willing her hands to remain steady.

His face went white. The gun looked very big in Kaoru's hands, but she knew, as he knew, that the slightest pressure would cause the gun to fire.

"Take it easy, Miss," he croaked, reaching for the ring of keys on the desk top. "I'll let him out."

She followed him to the door of the cellblock, kept the gun steady as he swung it open and let him go ahead of her inside.

She saw Kenshin there, sitting against the wall under the window. He looked up, saw her standing there with the gun held tightly in her fist, his sword at her side.

"Open it," she demanded of the lawman, watching as Kenshin's eyes darted from him to her and back. His face went slack for a moment, then broke into a wide, elated smile that made her go a little weak in the knees.

He was on his feet and out of the cell as soon as the door opened. In one movement, he plucked the gun from Kaoru, brought he butt down across the back of the lawman's head, tossed the weapon away and dragged him inside the cell, locking the door again.

Then he turned to her, stared at her with disbelieving eyes for just a moment before he grabbed her, crushing her close. She laughed, somewhat deliriously, as he rained kisses on her face, tried to kiss back whenever he held still long enough for her to touch him with her lips, so thankful that he was all right, so glad that he realized that she hadn't betrayed him, that he still loved her, still wanted her.

But there was no time for a long reconciliation right now. They had to try several keys from the ring before they found the one to unlock his irons.

"Let's go," he said urgently once he was free and placed the sword at his own side again. Kaoru held onto his hand as she followed him out of the jail, quivering with excitement. She had done it! She got him out. Everything was going to be all right now.

They made their way around the jailhouse, followed the back alley that paralleled the main street to the livery barn. Their horses were in the corral, and Kenshin slipped between the bars, moving quietly between the horses until he came to his black one. He quickly fashioned a bridle from a length of rope he found over the fence and led the horse from the enclosure. He found a bridle for Kaoru's roan in a keg of cast-off tack, boosted her onto the animal's back.

"Where are our supplies?" he whispered through the dark.

"Behind the inn. I left them there before I went to the jail."

He nodded, vaulted lightly onto his horse, and they rode to the inn, retrieved their gear. With a smile and one last squeeze of his wife's hand, Kenshin led the way out of town.

They rode all night, until the sky began to turn from black to gray. They were heading southwest, toward the hills instead of the mountains this time. Toward the home Kenshin hadn't seen in fourteen years, if it was still there.

It was late afternoon when Kenshin reined his weary mount to a halt. Kaoru stopped beside him, and he could see from her posture and her drawn features that she was tired and aching from spending twelve hours on horseback.

She still smiled at him when he slid to the ground and lifted her from her horse.

"We'll rest awhile," he said.

She nodded, and he held her against him as he spread a blanket on the ground and set her down. He sat behind her, rubbing her back and shoulders and the nape of her neck, his fingers kneading away the soreness. She closed her eyes in pleasure, and he only stopped when her head lolled forward in sleep.

With great tenderness, he took her in his arms, holding her close. She hadn't betrayed him, hadn't left him alone. She had been trying to save him, although he was still a bit confused why she didn't warn him properly that there was an ambush for him back in the wilderness. He felt a rush of guilt for not having trusted her.

"Forgive me, Beloved," he murmured, lowering her to the ground and drawing the blanket over them both. "I will never doubt you again." Neither her loyalty nor her love, ever again.

It was nightfall when they woke. She smiled at Kenshin, her heart in her eyes as his mouth closed over hers in a long kiss.

"I missed you," she murmured as he trailed kisses over her face and neck. "I was so afraid."

"It's all right now," he said, his forehead pressed to hers, so that all he could see were her brilliant sapphire eyes.

Her hands were exploring the flesh of his ribs and abdomen through his shirt, as if as eager to be reacquainted with the feel of him as he was to her. He had sank into hell, thought her lost to him in every possible way, but now she was here again, in his arms. Her heart had never changed, had been honest from the start. He had been a fool…

He held her close for a long while, his fingers threading through her hair as he looked up at the sky… Once, this land belonged to his people, to the dragons. They had roamed the vast plains at will, knowing such freedom.

His eyes shifted to the face of his woman, sleeping peacefully against him. What would the future hold for the two of them now? He placed a hand on her tummy. What future would there be for their children? They were both human, so the children wouldn't technically be half-breeds, and yet they would grow up with one foot in both very different worlds.

Kaoru stirred beneath his hand, her eyelids fluttering open. She smiled at him, the love in her eyes chasing away all his doubts. Together, they would overcome whatever obstacles they came across.

"It's time to go," he said.

She didn't argue. They got up, washed a little, then prepared breakfast while Kenshin bridled their horses and rolled their blankets. He had found out a pretty good while ago that she couldn't cook even if it would save her life, but she could handle making a little boiled jerky.

He smiled at her as she offered him his food. Now that she was back with him, anything made by her hands would be wonderful.

* * *

It was eerie, Kaoru thought, riding through the night. The plains were quiet, dark, mysterious. Just before midnight, the wind began to blow, whispered secrets to the grass, teasing the leaves of the trees.

She shivered and looked over at Kenshin, assuring herself that he was there. He rode sitting up straight, his profile as clean-cut as an image on a coin, his long red hair blowing about in the breeze.

Suddenly it occurred to her that he was a warrior, a fighting man. Her people were at war with his people, and she would undoubtedly be considered a traitor for loving him. The thought only caused her a moment's pain before she shrugged it aside. She had never known anything but unhappiness and cruelty from her own people, while this man had shown her nothing but love and kindness.

In fact, he had only a short time ago displayed that he didn't want to live without her.

Feeling her gaze, Kenshin turned to face her. "What is it?"

Kaoru shook her head.

He frowned. "Something is troubling you."

"Yes," she admitted.

"Will you not tell me?

"It's silly," she said. "Foolish."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, "There must be no secrets between us, my love."

"I…I was just thinking you're a warrior, and I wondered if…I mean--" She broke off, not wanting to offend him. "It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't."

Kenshin halted his horse, and the roan stopped beside it.

"I've fought your people for a long time," he said slowly, softly. "I've killed those who came against us, and I've killed others who've tried to seize our lands looking for gold, and still more who laid hands on our dragons." His eyes met hers. "There will be more battles in the days head, more killing." His eyes softened, and she was surprised to see a sliver of pain settle there. "Kaoru…you're so young. You…have lived without affection for most of your life, but you've never known want, never experienced hunger, never seen the horror of war. Maybe…maybe I've asked too much of you. I could…I could take you back to your uncle, if that's what you wish," he finished quietly.

"No!" Never that. How could she return to that empty life when she had known the wonders of Kenshin's love, his patience and caring and approval?

"Are you sure, Kaoru-dono? Once we reach my village, there will be no turning back."

Kaoru felt a tugging in her heart. Why was he trying to discourage her? "Don't you want me anymore?"

In an instant, he was off his horse, pulling her off hers and into his arms. "Kaoru! I only want your happiness. You're my woman, but I would never keep you here against your will or from your people if you wanted to return to them."

"I want to be with _you_."

"That's good…because if you had asked to go back, I would've been sent straight back to hell with no way to come back this time." Gently, he placed on hand beneath her chin and lifted her face, making her look into his eyes. He brushed his lips tenderly across hers. "You are my wife, Kaoru. From this night forth, I will never willingly let you go."

"You are my husband, Kenshin. From this night forth I will never willingly leave your side."

For a long time they stood this way, looking into each other's eyes, and forever after that night those were vows that could never be tarnished.


	11. Himura

11  
Himura

They traveled southwest for five days, until they reached Kenshin's hills. It was rugged land, a gradual uplift on the face of the earth that was broken by deep gorges, high ridges and buttes, and strangely-shaped rock formations.

The land was also a dark green because of the thick forest. After leaving the vast plains, the sight of so much timber was amazing.

It had been raining recently, and large pools had formed on the ground, reflecting again the trees and sky as they rode through the forest. It was a beautiful place, and it was in this place Kaoru saw a dragon for the first time.

Even when Kenshin had told her that dragons took on human forms for most of their lives, her head had still been full of storybook illustrations of giant lizards and beasts. She didn't expect the small boy with tiny, silver horns poking out of his wispy hair that darted across her path to be more along the lines of truth.

The boy looked to be around eight or ten years old. Small, immature fangs were in his smile as he looked at them. He had very long black hair and his eyes were a dark, smoky red, reminding Kaoru of the color of wine.

"Hello, Pup," Kenshin said greeted, his face soft as he looked down on the dragon boy.

The child, grinning, brandished a spear. "State your face-name and your business, Stranger."

"Kenshin," he introduced himself. "And with me, my wife, Kaoru."

The boy's jaw dropped, as almost did his weapon. "You're Kenshin?"

"I am."

"Oh!" The kid leaned against his spear. "I guess you can pass, then, since you're our Brother and all." His ruby-colored eyes drifted to Kaoru. "I know she's your mate because she has your scent all over her, but…did you have to marry a Newcomer, Brother Kenshin? I'm not sure they'll even let her in the village."

"They'll let her in," Kenshin said flatly, but Kaoru's trepidation doubled as they moved their mounts past the young ward.

The boy waved his weapon in goodbye. "I'm Lui! Welcome home, Brother Kenshin."

"Thank you, Lui."

* * *

There were a lot of people in the village with horns like the young boy they encountered. Most also had fangs. A few even had wings folded on their backs, either soft and feathered or leathery and batlike. There were plenty of ordinary-looking people as well, but their eyes weren't any gentler on Kaoru than those of the dragons.

"New Woman," they muttered, stepping out of the way as Kenshin and Kaoru led their horses through dusty streets.

This was going to be a little difficult at first, Kenshin could see as he walked, Kaoru's hand held tightly in his.

It had been a long time, and he saw few familiar faces. Those faces he recognized didn't seem to know him in return. Not that he had been expecting support or a welcome exactly, but…

His village had become a little harder and a little colder in his absence. It was difficult for him to smile reassuringly at his worried-looking wife as well, because he was so distracted. Along every street, around every corner…

Sis.

He held his breath, quickening his steps.

Sis…

When the sun went down it always stained the village red. She had liked the effect, the colors. How she had always loved color. Avoid always blacks and whites, but seek out yellows, reds, blues, greens, richer, brighter, darker, whatever your pleasure, as long as it was color…

Oh, Sis…

"_Do you love me because my hair is red?" he teased, grinning up at her as he swung his weight on her arm._

_She grinned down at him, then suddenly scooped him up and bounced him in the air once before settling him on her hip, planting a kiss between his eyes._

"_I would love you if your hair was as dull as mine," she told him._

"_Your hair isn't dull! You should love your colors, too," he scolded. He could never stand for anyone to disrespect his sister, even his sister herself._

_She pressed her cheek, smooth and cool, to his. "Even if our colors were reversed, if my eyes and hair were bright, and yours were dark brown instead, I would still love your colors more, Little Brother."_

He blinked, feeling a gentle, warm hand make its way across his shoulders, and found himself looking into Kaoru's concerned face.

"Are you all right?"

He nodded, but she narrowed her eyes, not believing him. "Who said there should be no secrets between us?"

"I was remembering my sister," he said softly.

"Good memories?"

"Always."

* * *

His cabin was still standing.

He stood with his hand on it, unable to believe it. But it was still here. Someone had been seeing to its cleaning, its repair--and that it had stayed empty--but who…?

Then, suddenly, he knew who. It was the one coming toward them now. Kenshin reached out a hand toward Kaoru, felt her step to him immediately, felt her tense, felt her looking over his shoulder, at him.

"What are you doing here now?"

The voice was no different that he remembered it. Kenshin relaxed his shoulders, turning slowly to face this man, the only sort of father he had ever known.

"Is this no longer my home, Master?"

Hiko snorted. "And here I'd thought you had been the one who decided it wasn't. I asked you what you're doing here."

A year ago, Kenshin might have imagined a new argument in trying to convince Hiko to let him lead the village back to the mountains. Now, it was far too late in the year to even consider it.

"My wife and I believed we might stay the winter," Kenshin said softly.

His master's eyes immediately moved to Kaoru with new interest. Kenshin felt a little burst of pride when Kaoru merely lifted her chin slightly, holding his gaze. Master could be imposing at the most gentle of times.

"You went off to fight the New People, and then you've brought one back as a wife," Hiko said dryly.

Kenshin stared at the much taller man a moment. He considered getting angry, either for himself or for Kaoru, or both of them together. But he felt the solid wood of his childhood home against his back and Kaoru's hand in his and decided that perhaps it wasn't worth the energy.

"Who is responsible for the upkeep of my sister's house?" he asked instead.

"I am," Hiko said, confirming Kenshin's guess. "Don't look at me like that. I'm only fulfilling a promise she forced me to make, a long time ago when you first became my apprentice."

"What promise?"

Hiko turned and began to walk away.

"Master! What promise did Sis--"

Hiko half turned, eyes shut in irritation. "She made me promise that if something happened to her, that you would always have a home to return to. She's gone, you've come back, and your home is still here. Is that spelled out clearly enough for you?"

Kenshin didn't notice Hiko leave after that, only registered Kaoru's inquiry with a small squeeze of her hand.

Sis had gotten Hiko to promise something like that? After so many years, after she had been gone for so long…she had still found a way to take care of her little brother.

* * *

The coming days were difficult at first for Kaoru, but at the same time, they passed quickly.

When she first followed Kenshin into his sister's old cabin, she had watched his face pass through several emotions, agony being the most prominent. This feeling, she shared in a way, because hanging there on the wall was a intricate, splendidly beautiful tapestry of a soft-eyed young woman with long braids holding a small, red-headed boy in her lap. Love, closeness, and color had have been woven into the scene with devoted hands, and suddenly Kaoru knew just where Kenshin had learned the lessons of affection he had in turn taught her.

Staying in his sister's cabin might have kept open some tender wounds, but Kaoru busied herself trying to ease that pain. She left his sister's tapestry alone, but started making the rest of the little place "their" home, rather than Kenshin's sister's home. It was easy enough to do, since there wasn't much for furnishing in the place.

She seldom left the security of the cabin except to relieve herself or gather wood and water. Whenever she went out, she felt stares on her.

"They will pass," Kenshin assured her. "The drake people don't hold grudges, and once they get used to you sight and scent, they'll begin looking further than the place of your birth."

He went hunting in the mornings, trying to stock up his lodging for the winter. He usually returned in the afternoon, and from there her education in his people and their ways would continue.

He tried to teach her how to cook drake-style. Most of their food was meat. The dragons needed large quantities of meat in their diets, and their humans followed suit. Most food was broiled or boiled, and some things baked in a hole in the ground. Before the New People came, boiling was accomplished in a bovine's paunch, but now most of the village women had a cast iron kettles. Kaoru learned how to jerk venison. Jerky was a staple of life in the higher lands; easy to prepare, it lasted indefinitely. Sometimes it was cooked, other times, especially by the dragons, it was eaten off the rack.

Kaoru came to like the cabin very much. It was small, a single room, but comfortable, snug, and warm. Kenshin kept the firewood right outside the door, along with pots and pans and water skin. He always seemed to bring in the right kind of wood for a sweet-smelling fire, and when she asked him why out of her curiosity, he looked surprised, and then sheepish, explaining that this had long been a habit from when he was a pup; he always brought in willow and aspen to please his sister's developed sense of smell.

Most cabins were exactly like Kenshin's, small, functional, and simple. He had instructed her on a cabin's etiquette, which was a bit different than back at home. If the door was left open, friends felt free to walk in uninvited. If the door was closed, they called out or knocked until invited inside. Two sticks crossed over the door meant the owner was away or desired to be left alone. Strictly as formality, men usually sat on the north side, and women on the south. When entering another's cabin, a man moved to the right to his designated place, and a woman to the left. When possible, it was polite to walk behind a seated person. If passing between someone and the fire, it was proper to ask their pardon. Guests were expected to eat everything put before them. To refuse would be an insult.

Although most of these customs weren't quite so different from those she had known at home, she still found the last bit of advice harder to accept than she might have. There were many items in a dragoner's diet she found repulsive. They were partial to eating hearts and tongues and kidneys, as well as liver. She would dutifully eat what was offered, swallowing the urge to vomit. It got easier when Kenshin, who himself didn't like the taste of liver, taught her a simple trick of passing small bites over the tongue without having to chew, decreasing the taste. Clever Kenshin. It was important to try to be accepted, to give him no reason to be ashamed of her.

The drake people were polite to her. They included her in their feasts and ceremonies; women invited her along when they went looking for vegetables and nuts, yet Kaoru knew they still considered her an outsider, an intruder. Enemy. It was only because they respected Kenshin that they accepted her at all.

Kenshin's name was shockingly well-known, usually also connected with the memory of his sister, both of them as fearless fighters, as accomplished hunters and trackers, and even looked on with favor because they were more educated than most. Kenshin never returned from a hunt empty-handed, and he was generous with the meat he brought back, unselfishly giving way portions to those in need.

"What is this village called?" Kaoru asked him once when it crossed her mind that she didn't know.

"Himura," he had answered. Himura. It was a good name, Kaoru thought, and she also thought it suited Kenshin well. A red-haired man living in a red village.

* * *

They had been there for three weeks when the first snow fell. Kenshin had filled in any spaces in the cabin's logs with prairie grass for added insulation. The cabin, heated by a small fire, was warm and cozy. There were many days after that when it was too cold to go outside for more than a few minutes, days when it rained without respite or snowed from dawn until dark. On these days, Kenshin and Kaoru passed the time in each other's arms. Kaoru found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with the kind, soft-spoken man who was her husband. He never grew angry with her, never raised his voice. He answered her questions patiently, never ridiculing her, never making her feel ignorant because she didn't understand his ways.

One of the most confusing things were the use of kinship terms even when no actual relationship existed among the drake people. Young people often called their elders "my father" or "my grandmother". Younger persons were referred to as "my son" or "my cousin". And all humans living in the village were called Brothers or Sisters of Dragons, which seemed to be a source of honor and pride.

Kaoru marveled at the way the dragons still cherished their humans even with so many of their kind on the outside intent on hunting and exploiting them to extinction.

With her only clothes wearing out badly, Kaoru found herself perhaps in need to start dressing more like a drake woman, because that was what materials would be provided for her. She spent several days making clothes out of a deer hide Kenshin had brought to her. He had showed her how to strip the hair from the hide and to tan the skin until it was a soft, pliable, creamy white.

She felt very domestic as she sat beside the fire, needle in hand, while Kenshin tended to his weapon. The cabin was very warm, filled with the scent of sweet sage. Rain made a soft tattoo on the roof, there was an occasional hiss from the fire. She felt a thrill of contentment swell in her heart when his soft, violet gaze lifted to meet hers. His eyes were so beautiful, and in them she read the promise of undying love.

Kenshin didn't say a word as he laid his sword aside. Rising to his feet, he crossed the short distance between them and took her work from her hands. Then, sitting down beside her, he took her in his arms and, very gently, his lips began bestowing kisses on her eyes and nose and throat, on her hands, the delicate skin along her inner wrists, up the length of her arms. As his passion grew more intense, he placed a hand behind her head, his fingers lacing through her hair, his mouth descending on hers in a fiercely possessive kiss that made Kaoru's stomach quiver with delight.

She didn't resist when he pressed her to the ground, his hand sliding over her calf, the curve of her thigh. She watched his eyes, loving the way they burned with a deep inner glow, the way he regarded her, lovingly, adoringly.

Then there were just the two of them, and there was no hatred in their world, only the timeless magic of two bodies with one heart, one soul.

* * *

Days began to pass by more slowly, with storm following storm, and the snow drifts rising higher and higher. Kaoru felt like she was living in a cold white world, and she wondered if the sky would ever be blue again.

There were days when the wind buffeted the land, when thunder rumbled through the heavens and shook the earth, when great spikes of lightning rent the blackened skies, and the rain beat on their home with such fury she was amazed it didn't come crashing down on their heads.

And then, miraculously, it was spring. The snow disappeared, the sky was as sapphire as Kaoru's own eyes, flowers exploded everywhere.

The village became a flurry of activity as everyone moved outside to enjoy the color and sunshine, eager to rid themselves of the powerful cabin fever that had been gripping them toward the end of the season.

It was still early in the spring when a runner from a village on another hill arrived. Later, Kenshin told Kaoru the bad news.

Another attempt at trying to solve matters with words had failed. The famous red armor drake leader Jomei had been invited to come to a council held by the New People, whose leader in turn had offered to buy the hills from him. Jomei had been stunned and had, of course, refused to sell. Even so, he knew that what the New People knew: there would be war.

"What do they want the hills for?" Kaoru asked shakily. "I don't understand."

Kenshin looked grim. "Taking the hills for themselves would first of all force the dragons to leave and spread out over the world. At least here, we know our land well and know how to defend it. Our dragons would be easier to catch outside. But also, I think they've discovered gold in the nearby rivers and feel the need to dig in the hills for it."

Typical New Person greed. So, there would be war. But it would not come for a while.

For Kaoru, the days and nights were like nothing she had ever known. Just when she thought she couldn't love Kenshin more, she found there were still depths to fall into just by staring for too long into his eyes. Through him, she found herself growing more fond of the ways of the Wild People, more tolerant of their customs, more understanding of the simple, uncomplicated way of life they favored.

Before she new it, she had somehow ceased to be regarded as Enemy or an outsider. She was Kenshin's wife, and her actions and innate kindness had earned the respect of the drake people. She worked hard, her home was clean and well cared for, her man was happy. Not every native-born female in this world could say all of those things at once.

Now when the women went gathering wood or water, she was one of them, able to laugh at their jokes and converse with them easily. Daily the sight of horns or wings became very commonplace, as was their absence when the same dragon person didn't feel like sporting them on any given day. Kaoru found herself gaining a favorable reputation: respected by the women and admired by the men.

Kenshin usually went hunting alone, but occasionally some of the males asked him to hunt with them in their packs, and these hunts always ranged wider and took longer. When he was absent on these long pack hunts, Kaoru began to pass time by sewing him a new shirt, and surprised him with it when it was finished.

Kenshin had stared at the garment presented to him at first with a slackened jaw. Kaoru had done her best, making it in a dragoner's way. Made of the best available material, buckskin, the sleeves were long, widely-knit at the seams. She had worked an intricate design across the back, patterns that pleased her and were based off the shapes in the bordering of Kenshin's sister's tapestry in their home, worked in dyed porcupine quills. It had taken a long time, and she had asked a lot of advice of more experienced hands, but she was proud of her accomplishment.

Still, Kenshin, continued to stare, his eyes moving again over the shirt until Kaoru began to grow nervous...

But then he looked into her face, his face glowing. He took the garment from her so carefully, as if he thought it might come apart if he touched it, then held it between them as he pulled her to him. The kiss they shared was so long and so sweet. Air was unimportant, as were chores and other duties for the day, thrust aside as Kenshin made certain two sticks were crossed over his door, and Kaoru spent the entire day learning just how pleasantly he could give his thanks.

Of course, Kaoru was delighted her husband liked her gift, and even more delighted with his very elaborate thank you, but it wasn't until she had spoken to an elderly old fur drake named Mareo, who had known Kenshin since he was a baby, that she began to understand why he had loved the shirt so much.

"Kenshin is a strange one," Mareo began as she sat across from the community fire, where women often came to meet, hands ever busy with her own bone-needle sewing. "Most of the time he is gentle and dutiful, and at times, very sweet. But he also has a very rare trait not common to either man or dragon at all. The reason he is so successful in combat is because he has a sort of inborn sense that tells him when to be tough. When the critical moment is upon him, something happens inside him that he becomes lethal creature that can't be stopped until it accomplishes its objective. When push comes to shove, that boy always shoves first, and those who shove back regret it." Mareo stopped there, scratching an itch behind one of her gnarled, twisted horns. "But even at the critical moment, there was always one whose voice could reach him, however deeply he had become entangled in it. That was his older sister. I suspect you, too, have such a power over him. Your gift was both one of thought and design, and given to him for absolutely no reason at all, just as she used to do for him, and he associates that all as love."

Later, when Kaoru walked home she thought of Kenshin's sister.

Kenshin's sister… She stopped walking a moment, surprised, realizing that she had no idea what her husband's beloved sister's name was. No one, not even Kenshin, had ever said it. He called her "my sister" or, very informally, "Sis". On rare occasions when he spoke of her to others he sometimes referred to her as oneesama, and even the biggest fool in the village knew better than to speak of her with anything but all the respect that Kenshin meant by that title.

When anyone else spoke of her, they called her "Kenshin's sister". Always. Never by a name.

Puzzled, she hurried home, and when Kenshin returned that evening she immediately asked him what his sister's name was.

He didn't answer right away, and the cheerful expression he had been wearing vanished all at once.

She only had a moment to wonder if she'd done something wrong when he said, "Even among dragons, there is injustice."

He had gone still, his eyes a little cold. She wondered, in the small silence that followed, if she ought not to just leave it alone. Still, she asked, "What do you mean? What does that have to do with your sister's name?" Was it a bad name? Was that why no one wanted to use it?

"She didn't have a name," he said softly, to her great surprise.

"Didn't have a _name_?"

"No. In the past, half-breeds weren't honored with names." His fists clenched at his sides, jaw setting in that way he had when he was angry and not immediately able to do anything about it. "That little tradition carries on. And my sister…she never complained. Never. Not about that, not about anything."

_She never complained…not about anything._ Even if his sister accepted the injustice, Kenshin could not.

"I gave her a name, though," he said, softly. "Right after she died."

Kaoru licked her lips, and waited for a few seconds before she said, "Will you tell me?"

"Yes…but repeat it to no one." He cast an angry glare at the door. "After making her go nameless for so long, they don't deserve to know now."

She nodded, agreeing, if not entirely with his logic, than the fact that if this was the only way he knew of to achieve justice, she would keep the name a secret. "Tell me."

"Taura," he said after another long pause, easing both syllables out of his mouth like they were the most precious he had ever uttered. "I named her Taura."

Taura. "Many lakes". Kaoru thought it was a worthy name.

* * *

There were a lot of feasts and ceremonies and dances. It seemed like as soon as one ended, another would begin.

When Kaoru commented on this, Kenshin smiled and said, "Well, food is well-abundant here, and song is certainly not subject to drought."

And he was right. Besides, it was fun, more fun that she could have ever had at the fair she had once dreamed of when she still lived on her uncle's farm.

Dance Night was always the most popular. Young women dressed in their finest attire to attract the young men. There were dances to celebrate victories in battle, when the men would dance in the center of a circle formed by women dancing quietly on the outside.

The Wild People were very musical. They loved drums and flutes. Their drums were made to sound deep, and flute music was sweet and sad.

Kaoru was shocked into speechlessness the first time she saw Kenshin join in a dance.

The first dance he joined she found out later was required. Every warrior who attended moved around the community fire with their hands behind them, palms flat on the smalls of their backs while they did a simple two-step with their feet that even their most graceless fighter could perform with ease.

That one he had to do whether he particularly wanted to participate or not, but Kaoru couldn't help but admire the way he looked. As usual, he was much smaller than the other men, practically dwarfed by the huge, broad young armor drakes dancing in the circle, but he still stood out, was still the most magnificent of them all with the firelight gleaming off his long red hair and fierce, violet eyes.

Yet, he surprised her again by joining in another dance, this time his choice alone. It was a fast, almost dangerous, and certainly complicated one.

She watched, mesmerized as he moved in perfect sync with the others, nearly all of whom were dragons. He performed with his eyes closed. The dance was repetitious, but that didn't make it any less interesting. It began with the arms outstretched, dancers moving in circles to gain speed, then suddenly switching directions to spin the other way, but in the midst of spinning the second time, the footwork changed, knees coming up higher in more of a march, one after another until the dancers, bending low a the waist, suddenly flipped into the air, a graceful somersault with a slight walk with the feet as the passed through the air that made them look as thought they were walking right on the stars before they landed again and started over.

It was amazing.

Once it was over, Kenshin came to her and she jumped into his arms, grinning from ear to ear. "I didn't know you could dance!"

He was flushed, either from the exercise or from a bit of bashfulness. "Well…my sister made me learn. She said it could only benefit a swordsman."

But Kaoru had a feeling that it had less to do with Kenshin's swords training, and more to do with Taura just wanting to see him do it.

But there would be a ceremony to come to pass in the summer that Kaoru would not look on with such fondness.

The time nearing this had almost gotten Kaoru caught up in the spirit of it, in the stirring and excitement charging in the air. But this was brought down when Kenshin took her aside late in the afternoon before the ceremony.

He began with, "I don't want you to--" then stopped, hesitated, and rephrased. "You can attend tonight, my love, but I would prefer that you didn't."

"Why?"

Again, a diffident pause. "This is not like the dances, Kaoru. This time, it's not for fun at all. This a bloody ceremony."

"Bloody?" she repeated.

"Yes. There is going to be fighting tomorrow night."

"But why?" Kaoru said, trying to make sense of something Kenshin didn't seem ready to explain.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is the most sacred of ceremonies for my people, but it will be unlike anything you've ever seen. It will be harsh, brutal, and may frighten you. I would very much prefer if you stayed behind this time."

He stopped there, trying to allow this to sink in. "Will you be…involved?" she asked slowly.

"I will attend, but I couldn't participate if I wanted to. This is for dragons only."

"So the dragons are going to spend all night fighting each other?"

"That's an indelicate way of putting it, but yes. Most of them will be pups who have gotten old enough that the bloodlust is difficult to control without some means of outlet."

The bloodlust. This more than anything else, Kaoru thought, was what truly separated dragon from man. The instincts that stirred in them, the sheer ferocity, a lurking predatory animal within that was frightening when one thought too long on it.

Perhaps this was why her people thought the way they did, was why the feared them.

At first, Kaoru thought she might listen to Kenshin and stay behind in their cabin, but several of the women came to collect her that night. They seemed so excited and enthusiastic…it couldn't really be as bad as Kenshin thought, could it?

But it could. It really could.

Her first surprise was to see Hiko. Kenshin's master didn't look exactly happy to be there, but he was, standing in his daunting, unfriendly manner on one side of the circle. Exactly on the opposite side was Kenshin, who stood just as still and unmoving. There were other human warriors helping them to form the circle, but somehow, only the both of them really stood out.

It was there, in the ring they formed that Kaoru saw the Purest Form for the first time. Her next surprise was to see young Lui step into the ring on Kenshin's side, while an opponent, another pup named Akeno, came in through Hiko's side. Both boys wore nothing but simple wolf skin clouts.

The transformation was astounding. It was fast and fluid. Hands grew into claws. Bodies expanded. Tails sprouted and elongated, thrashing in the empty air. What little clothing they wore ripped and fell away as their bodies grew.

Lui was a gorgeous creature. Still skinny and ungainly with youth, he looked like he still had much growing to do. He was only as large as Kaoru's own horse, though perhaps twice as wide. He had narrow, foxlike features, sharp, triangular ears, and reddish-brown fur. Only his eyes were the same, the odd ruby color of them glinting in the firelight. For all his youth, the glistening fangs and twitching claws looked no less lethal.

Akeno was an armor drake. Lizardlike, his scales were speckled black and silver. Unlike Lui, who in his Purest Form stood on all fours, Akeno remained on two legs in his, flexing his more slender arms, rolling his shoulders in preparation. His face was blunt and rounded, eyes large and black like flint. Lui's form could be said to be cute, but Akeno's was downright frightening. Akeno also had one more advantage over Lui: he had two spikes on the end of his tail, which Kenshin had said once was a rarity.

She blinked in disbelief. They were going to allow these two pups to fight like this? And putting Lui, a gentle-natured fur drake against Akeno, a fiery-tempered armor drake with so many more natural weapons? It didn't seem right.

It seemed the signal was to be given by Hiko. He only said, "Go." And the pups charged each other.

A hand flew to her mouth as she watched for several minutes in growing horror. Kenshin had said she shouldn't come, and she should have listened!

Like animals fighting to the death, Lui and Akeno were ripping each other with tooth and claw. Their blood flew, and snarls and growls and roars made the ground beneath her feet vibrate as they went at it. But it wasn't until Akeno finally sank his tail spikes into Lui's ribcage that Kaoru knew she was going to have to get away.

She threw one glance at Kenshin and saw him staring back, his features tight with worry, not for the pups, but for her.

Unmindful of what the others might think, Kaoru left the dance arbor and made her way to a shady glen some distance from the fighting.

Until today, she had readily accepted Kenshin's people's way of life, but this--! This was bloody and barbaric. They were children. Children become animals, slashing, swiping, bleeding, clawing at the hard-packed ground beneath their feet. The roars and snarls were worse on her nerves than the loudest thunderstorm had ever been.

And everyone, the adults, those responsible for the dragon pups, and even Kenshin, they just stood and watched.

"Kaoru?"

She hadn't heard his footsteps, but suddenly he was there, and as she stared at him, she thought he looked more Wild than she could ever remember. For the ceremony, he had doffed his shirt, leaving him in only his buckskin leggings and sandals, and a pair of bands on his arms above his elbows. His hair had been loose and touseled, representing something free and natural.

"Did Taura ever do that?" she demanded.

Kenshin's eyes were a little wide on her, as if he genuinely couldn't understand why she had spoken to him in that tone. "Yes, she did," he said quietly, with a trace of pride. "My sister was a dragon and a warrior. She overcame every opposition and was always the last one standing when she fought."

"Was she cut to little bloody ribbons by the end?" Kaoru asked, her voice high and shrill in her own ears.

Kenshin's eyes saddened, more now by Kaoru's reaction, her upset, than by the memory of his sister's injuries. "She always took some time to recover, and there were some scars. But she, a half-breed, gained respect and admiration early, and it only grew as her prowess in combat did. There is only pride to be had in her."

"Pride, but not a name?" Kaoru said flatly.

He didn't answer then, still staring at her with those same wide, sad eyes.

"I still don't understand why!"

"Why what?"

"Why do this? Why are those…those babies cutting each other apart? Why is everyone watching like its some sort of game?"

"I have tried to explain this."

"Try again."

"It's necessary sometimes for a dragon to spill blood, to be in a real combat situation that will make their spirits run high. It has to be done, or else the eternal flames burning within them could cause them to go mad. The pups aren't in any danger, Kaoru-dono. There are adults watching."

"And when the adult themselves start to fight?"

"Then they are also being watched. No one has ever died in a ceremonial fight."

He seemed to sure of this. Talking patiently and calmly, as if it was all simple logic.

Suddenly, he seemed a stranger to her now, this man that stood so firm in the traditions of his people, who was himself raised as and by a dragon. Before, she had not truly understood why her people called these people Wild. But now she did. No truly civilized race would react so calmly in the wake of such a thing.

Kenshin watched Kaoru's face, saw the anguish in her eyes.

All of the sudden, he wished he had someone to go to, someone he could speak to of a situation like this, because he had no idea what to do now. His sister would have been ideal. He certainly couldn't go to Hiko. He probably didn't know anything about women anyway.

Kenshin wanted to take Kaoru into his arms and try to kiss away these new fears he saw in her eyes, to try to assure her that their love was enough, that it wasn't necessary that she understood everything all at once.

Instead, he only watched her another moment before he turned on his heel and left her standing there. Somehow he knew that she had to decide for herself the path she would follow.

It saddened him terribly, but he knew she had questions now that she hadn't thought of before in her deep innocence. She had seen such little violence, didn't even know the terrible things that her own people were capable of. This was why he had wanted her to stay away, at least for maybe the first few times this ceremony took place.

It shocked her, as he knew it would, and now, he could only guess at what she was thinking.

And he knew, whatever she was thinking would not come into a decision overnight.

* * *

Kenshin treated Kaoru politely in the days that followed, but didn't share her bed, never took her in his arms as he used to, and spoke but rarely. He spent his days with the other warriors, stayed out late at the community fire. Each day he hoped Kaoru would come to him and tell him that she was his, body and soul, and that his people were her people, but…instead, each night the gulf between them grew wider and more difficult to bridge.

Summer gave way to fall, and still no decision was made. Kaoru seemed to sink deeper into despair. Kenshin would have given anything to know exactly what she was thinking. Was it this hard, having seen what she saw? Was it so difficult for her to decide whether she could accept his way of life, his people's beliefs and traditions? To become harder to the sight of blood, expect it as a thing of everyday life? It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him kill before--and the ceremony didn't even involve any killing. In fact, it took place to prevent actual killing later. Without these fights, hot-blooded pups and younglings could very well go mad, or cause harm with bloodlust-shortened tempers. It seemed so simple, to him.

As much as Kenshin longed for someone he could go to, someone older and more experienced in such things, he knew she had no one to go to for advice either because there was on one who could see her viewpoint. She was even more alone in this.

And what if she decided she couldn't embrace this life? He couldn't live without her. If she said she couldn't stay with him, he would have to go find a nice, comfortable place to curl up and wait until his end came. Maybe he would go to the lake and lie by the water where he had let his sister go so many years before.

Kenshin began to regret not leaving when the first winter had ended, but Kaoru had begun to look like she was enjoying living in Himura and Kenshin had hoped…

Time continued to pass by miserably. Winter's breath blew across the land again, making travel impossible. Deep drifts of snow covered everything, turning the whole world into a fairyland of white-laced trees and snow-covered hills.

There was a lessening of tension between them since any decision Kaoru could make would be put off until spring when the roads would be passable again.

It was during this waiting time that the New People's army sent an ultimatum to the Wild People that stated, in part, that any dragon or dragoner who had not moved from the hills by the end of the winter would be deemed hostile and treated accordingly by the military. The order was dated one short month before the time it had arrived in their hands.

"The Enemy wants war," Kenshin said upon hearing the news. "Our leaders aren't going to make their people leave the homes they've kept for countless generations and go out into an increasingly hostile world in the middle of winter with no safe place to go. And it's in this season that most armor drakes must hibernate. They wouldn't be fit to travel any distance."

"But…you can't win!" Kaoru blurted. The idea of war and the fear for Kenshin's life had knocked the tact from her words, but it certainly wasn't that she didn't believe them. "Kenshin, you don't have to go!"

He took her hand, the first time he had touched her in so long. He squeezed gently, his face serious. "I must fight," was all he said.

Kaoru stared at him, the full implication of his words hitting her like a physical blow. Kenshin was going to follow the war bands. He was going to fight. She didn't want to be a part of it, didn't want him to be a part of it. She knew, as he knew, that in the end, the Wild People could not win. Not every Wild Person could do what Kenshin and Hiko could do. The New People had more men, complicated weapons that more often than not baffled the simplicity-loving Wild People and dragons, endless supplies of food, an generally more of everything. In the end, the dragons would be driven away from the higher lands entirely.

Yet, it had been this winter that Kaoru had chosen to listen the most, and to understand why his people hated the New People so. Kenshin and Master Hiko were rarities in that they could both read and write, but the drake people had no written language of their own and therefore no records except for stories that were retold every winter.

She listened to stories of injustice, of broken promises and brutal murders and terrible enslavement.

She even heard the story of the murder of Kenshin's sister. She listened in agony as they told of how she was caught in a "metal snapping-trap" by one of her legs and couldn't pry herself out of it before the men came. How the men, had cut her throat and held the stream of her life over skins to collect her blood, because the believed her blood would be profitable medicine.

Kenshin had not stayed, had not been able to listen. He had walked away the moment she was mentioned, and the others had looked away in respect for him. She was, after all, his sister, and her murder was something that would never leave him.

She could hear the anger in their voices, the bitterness, the sense of betrayal.

Slowly, the winter dragged on as if not impressed by the heat of their anger, and the time Kaoru had been dreading grew closer at hand. Then it was spring once more, and it was time to move on to the war camps.


	12. Great Victory and Unbearable Loss

12  
Great Victory and Unbearable Loss

Kaoru sat outside her tent, watching the warriors ride in and out.

They were camped along the Big Bend of the Forked River, and the war camp was in a constant state of turmoil. Warriors were sent to trading posts and agencies to barter for better steel for weapons. Others went out in search of fresh war horses. And still others carried the words of the red drake Jomei: "It is war. Come together." Old men went out in search of clothing and blankets, women seemed to be always cooking, because there were so very many people to feed.

Kaoru saw little of Kenshin. He was caught up in the excitement that ran through the camp like chain lightning as well, infecting everyone it touched. Once, she saw Jomei himself. In human form, he was short and had a broad, flat face that showed little expression. His hair was turning gray. When she heard him speak, she knew why the drake people were so willing to follow him. He was a powerful orator.

It really was to be war.

Kaoru stood, watching Kenshin, her heart cold as yesterday's ashes. He was going to fight, and nothing she could say would change his mind. He sat astride the big black gelding, looking every inch a warrior from the solid expression on his face to the sword at his side.

He was going to fight.

And this time, so was his master, Hiko. Kaoru watched the master ride up to Kenshin and they exchanged a few words. Kaoru looked from one man to the other. They so rarely spoke, but before she had a chance to wonder what they were saying, war cries went up from the drakes and the Wild People. The armor drakes roared with fury it seemed their human bodies should not have been able to handle, and the fur drakes howled, long and steady, like wolves. Men picked up whichever cry they favored most.

Many dragons had already taken up their Purest Forms for battle. More and more warriors had gathered around, dust swirling around the hooves of their horses. Dogs entered the melee, barking wildly as they dodged between the dragons and ponies. Little boys and pups picked up the war cries, their voices loud and shrill, eyes wide with envy when they saw their fathers and brothers, and a few mothers and sisters, preparing for battle.

If the women were worried or apprehensive, it didn't show on their faces as they waved farewell to their men. Their eyes were filled with pride, voices carrying on the breeze.

Jomei raised his long, membrained wings over his head. "Let's go!"

Kenshin was one of the last warriors to ride out. For an instant, just before he followed Jomei, Hiko and the others his eyes met Kaoru's and all the love he felt for her shone clearly there. And then he was gone.

That looked haunted Kaoru all that day. Once, Kenshin had offered to take her home and she had assured him that she would never willingly leave him, that she wanted only to be where he was. She knew now, as she watched him ride off into battle, perhaps never to see him again, that she still felt the same. She had let her foolish fears ruin their last few months together. She had slept in a cold and lonely bed when she might have been resting in his arms. And now she had let him go off to war without telling him that she loved him. If he died, she knew she would suffer guilt and remorse the rest of her life. If only she had at least kissed him goodbye.

At loose ends, she wandered through the camp aware of the stares of the women, aware of their inner turmoil. They weren't really so very different from herself. They looked after their children, wept when they were sad, loved their mates, revered their old ones, laughed and danced, mourned for their dead. They were an honorable people, living in the traditions of their ancestors, hoping and dreaming that things would be better for their children.

She saw the worry lurking behind their eyes as they waiting for their husbands and brothers and fathers and mothers and sisters to return from the battlefield, saw the lines of anxiety in their faces, heard it in their voices. Watching them, she felt a bond of unity with these women, and with all women the world over who had spent the long, lonely hours waiting for a loved one to return from battle.

Retracing her steps to her own tent, Kaoru curled up on her bed and willed time to move faster. The waiting, the wondering, the not knowing was almost more than she could bear. Was he all right? She imagined him wounded and bleeding, his face twisted in pain; pictured him dying, dead. _Please. Please bring him safely back to me._

A triumphant cry drew her from the brink of sleep. Scrambling to her feet, Kaoru hurried out of the tent to see the war party swarming into camp. It had been a wild and bloody battle, as evidenced by the number of wounded. The fight had been a victory! The Enemy had fallen back to the Fowl Creek where they had left supplies to lick their wounds and regroup their men.

Kaoru was standing a few feet from her tent when Kenshin rode up. He was grimy with dust and sweat, his deep purple eyes still filled with battle, with the victory. He looked wild and savage and when he swung effortlessly from the back of the black horse, she was able to get a good look at him. He was completely unharmed.

He stood before her a moment, just gazing at her, and then, with a small cry, Kaoru hurled herself into his arms.

"Beloved," Kenshin murmured thickly, gripping her just as tightly as she gripped him.

"Kenshin! Don't let go," Kaoru begged, and blinked back tears as his arms tightened around her. "I've been such a fool."

Kenshin smiled as he lifted her up and carried her downriver to a secluded spot well away from the camp. Kaoru clung to him when he would have set her on her feet.

"I have to wash," he said, chuckling softly.

Blushing, Kaoru nodded as she slowly slipped her arms from his neck, reluctant to be parted from him for even a moment. She watched as he stripped. Her eyes moved over him inch by inch, ascertaining for herself that he was truly unhurt.

Her nearness and the heat of her gazed sparked an entirely expected result, and she laughed softly.

"Are you laughing at me?" he mock-demanded, advancing toward her.

"No," Kaoru said. Reaching out, she let her hands touch his firm, slim shoulders and solid chest. "I'm just so glad you're all right."

Kenshin loosed the ties of her deer hide robe and let the garment slide down around her ankles. "Come. Bathe with me, Love."

She would have followed him anywhere. Kaoru let him pull her into the river. The water was clear and cold, but his hands quickly warmed her as he washed her from head to foot, his hands lingering on the slender curve of her neck, moving across her ribs, then spanned her waist and drew her close against his chest. With a sigh, she laid her head against his shoulder as waves of happiness rolled over her. He was here at last and she was in his arms again.

He whispered her name and she lifted her face to his, her whole being quivering with joy as she saw the love mirrored in his eyes.

In one fluid motion, he lifted her in his arms and carried her from the water. Ashore, he sank down on the ground, still holding her, his mouth trailing tiny flames as he kissed each inch of her face, and all the while he was murmuring to her, the throaty words like the sweetest music she had ever heard, like a fur drake's contented purr. Gently, he placed her on her back on the ground, then stretched out beside her, eyes on her face, hands wandering over her damp, skin, familiarizing himself anew, recalling the places that would make her tremble beneath his fingers.

Impatient, she twined her arms around his neck and drew him toward her. The months they had spent apart had now added an urgency, as did the knowledge that Kenshin could have been killed and this joyous reunion might never have been.

Later, after the reaffirmation of their love and a renewed pledge of the vows between them, Kenshin held her close, stroking her hair. Two wars had been won that day, and each victory was sweeter for the battle fought and won.

* * *

Kaoru assumed that the victory meant the end of the fighting and they could return to their village again and live in peace.

But it was not to be. That was merely a battle, when there was a whole war to be fought. The war camp prepared to move, their destination the valley between the mountains of the Old Home.

Kaoru couldn't help being caught up in the excitement of the move. She had never seen anything like it. She stared in wonder at the beauty around her as they made their way through the northern foothills. The grass was as high as her horse's belly. As far in the distance that could be seen, the Shining Mountains, their snowy peaks rising in stately splendor against the sky.

Jomei rode at the head of the long caravan, the warriors riding next, mounted on their best steeds. Following them came the women and children and the pack horses, and lastly, came the vast pony herds.

Rather than leave it all unprotected while they fought, they had simply packed up everything and everyone and brought them along. It was a long, noisy parade that stretched for three miles from end to end. Kaoru's heart was light as they traveled along. The terrible gulf between herself and Kenshin had been bridged at last. Last night, Kenshin had possessed her fiercely, passionately, masterfully, vowing again to never let her go. And she had gloried in his touch, reveled in his strength, in the way he subdued her so skillfully.

To please him, she had discarded her old clothing entirely and now simply wore the deer hide robe she had made. Her hair was pulled away from her face and tied back with a length of blue ribbon in the manner the drake women favored. Now, riding toward the Old Home, she felt very loved and very Wild.

She was unprepared for the sight that awaited her as they topped a tree-studded rise and saw the river spread below. Hundred and hundreds of tents were situated in the valley , housing more people and dragons than she had ever dreamed existed.

"Never have so many of us been together in one place," Kenshin remarked, reining his horse beside her. He gestured upstream. "Those there are the ones who have lived in the mountain. See how much more pale they are than everyone else?"

"There must be thousands," Kaoru said.

"More than four thousand of fighting age. Perhaps two thousand are seasoned warriors."

Maybe the drake people could win after all? "Who are they going to fight?"

"Saburo," he said, his voice growing a little harder.

Saburo had once been a boy-general, but he was no longer a boy. He was a man, with decades of experience in tactics and war. A popular commander among his people and well-hated among Kenshin's. He had slaughtered a peaceful band of Wild People on the banks of the Forked River in the dead of winter, then burned their homes and slaughtered their horses. Kaoru had learned that from the campfire stories.

"When is he coming?"

"Soon."

"You're going to fight." It was not a question.

"Yes."

She nodded. She had known this the entire time, and she had resolved to accept it without an argument. But it was hard. So hard.

There was great excitement in the days ahead. Men constantly coming and going, scouts arriving hourly with reports of the progress of the soldiers, and then the announcement that Saburo was on his way.

Kaoru's resolve failed miserably and Kenshin held her all the more tightly that night.

"What's wrong, Kaoru-dono? Why are you crying?" he asked gently.

"I'm just afraid for you, Kenshin."

His lips pressed against her forehead. "You mustn't be so afraid."

"I can't help it. I love you so much, Kenshin."

"Do you?"

"You know I do."

"Then show me," he murmured huskily. "Show me now…"

Lovemaking was bittersweet that night. Kaoru poured out her heart and soul, wanting Kenshin to this time carry the memory of her love with him into battle. She clung to him, drawing him closer, her hands caressing every inch of his flesh, the narrow span of his shoulders, the length of his flanks. Her eyes never left his face, for that, too, had to be committed to memory, just in case...

Kenshin held Kaoru all through the night, folding her close, lips repeatedly finding her eyelids, her nose, her mouth, and her throat. He didn't have any sense of impending doom, but he knew that it was possible he wouldn't return from the battle. Saburo was a fighter.

He didn't sleep that night. Long after Kaoru had drifted off, he remained awake, watching her sleep, needing to feel her there beside him. She whimpered, plagued by a bad dream, and his arms tightened around her as he murmured to her, assuring her that all was well.

Many warriors didn't sleep with their women the night before a battle, believing that it might drain their strength, but he needed to feel Kaoru close to him, to draw on her love, to breathe in her sweet scent one last time, just in case…

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when the New People's General Saburo rode down the slope across from the Old Home where the last of the Forked River trailed off to become a stream. Had he managed to cross the river beforehand, the outcome might have been different. But before he could reach the hide-tents at the lower end of the foothills, hundreds of angry Wild Warriors on horseback and dragons in fire-breathing Pure Forms swarmed in front of him, and before his regiment could retreat, half of Saburo's men lay dead or wounded on the slope.

And then Jomei's group, including Kenshin and Hiko appeared on Saburo's left flank. Saburo retreated up the slope with the remainder of his command, fighting valiantly all the way, until they were crushed beneath an angry red wave. In less than an hour, the Newcomer commander and all his men were dead.

Kaoru learned the details of the fight long after it was over. Standing beside her tent of animal hides, she saw the warriors returning, the look of victory shining in their eyes. Jubilant dragons raised mighty wings and roared or howled their victory. Finally, they had paid back their tormenters, even if it was only for a single battle.

Kaoru waited for Kenshin to return, and when he didn't, she assumed he was with the warriors who were still trying to flush some of the men out of the trenches they had dug on a distant hill. That fight continued until nightfall, and then the remaining dragoners returned to camp.

And still there was no sign of Kenshin.

Kaoru wandered through the celebration, her eyes searching for red hair. Over and over again she asked if anyone knew where he was, and always the answer was the same: no one had seen Kenshin since the fight.

She wandered through the camp for hours, her insides growing cold as more time passed.

It was after midnight when she located Master Hiko, only to find that he had not only not seen his apprentice, but had also been wandering about in search for him as well.

"We fought side by side for a time," he said, "but then we were separated. I haven't seen him since."

Dread choked her so that she could do nothing but clench her fists.

Hiko's mouth twisted as he watched her. Then he said, "Our dead have all been brought back here. He wasn't among them."

"Then where is he?" she said hoarsely.

Hiko shook his head. "I don't know where the idiot is…" His voice softened some as he added, "But I'll keep trying to find out. Go on back to your tent now."

The last was a gentle but obvious command that reminded her much of Kenshin as she made her way back. Small groups of warriors could still be seen gathered around the campfire. Young men who were still alight with the euphoria of battle.

Kaoru slipped through the tent's flap, curled up on her bedding. Her hand stroked the place where Kenshin usually slept next to her. Where could he be? Why didn't he come to her?

In the morning, the drake people launched a fresh attack on the men still in the trenches. The assault lasted into the afternoon, and even while the warriors were fighting, the women and children they had left behind were dismantling their camp. Scouts had seen Enemies riding toward the valley and they had to move out. All the victory to be had in this place was theirs, and it was time to go.

Kaoru fought down the urge to panic as she watched the drake people begin to leave the valley and head back to their homes. Kenshin's group was going back to Himura, and those who wished to go back under the mountains were already on a good head start.

She stood still, feeling lost and alone, when Hiko came to her. She had only to look at his face to see that he brought bad news.

"Is he dead?" she asked quietly.

The master shook his head, repeating the same words she had heard years over and over again yesterday. "No one has seen him, and he's still not among any of the dead."

He let that hang there a moment.

Kaoru said, "Do you believe he's dead?"

"No apprentice of mine would die so easily in a battle such as this."

This was an absence of a yes or no answer that would have, under ordinary circumstances, been an even greater comfort than if Hiko had simply said no. And yet, somehow the words hurt more, sent a terrible numbness over her heart that seemed the same as if he had said, "We must assume he was killed."

She wondered why for a bleary moment before it came to her that the more honest answers she was looking for were more in the haggard form of the man before her, one who had spent a night sleepless before the fight, and another sleepless night picking through the dead and wounded for his missing student. He masked his fears excellently in his arrogant statement, but that was all that it was, a mask. He was frustrated that he couldn't find Kenshin, and even more frustrated that he couldn't stay and keep searching, not with a fresh army breathing down their necks. There were women and children to be protected, wounded to get to safety…Hiko could not stay and face the new troops, and, as unlikely as it seemed, his own death would help no one, least of all Kenshin.

"You have to decide what you want to do," he said after a few moments. "We have to leave here. Are you coming with us? Not only are you Kenshin's wife, but the village is fond of you…they'll make sure that you're provided for if you choose to come back to Himura. Or I'll see you safely back to your people, whichever you prefer."

So, there it was, in those sentences. Kaoru had not been there. She didn't know what a mighty battle it must have been, in dragon fire and bullets and bloody swords. Hiko must have thought Kenshin was dead, since it couldn't be for any reason short of that that he wouldn't come back. He would be back by now if he was all right. It was as simple as that.

"I don't know," she whispered in answer to his question. She didn't want to stay here alone, but she didn't want to leave either.

"If you want to return to your people, the soldiers will take you back."

"Yes," Kaoru said at length. "I think that's what I must do."

But the words sounded so strange, like they came from another's throat. Go back? Why? How could she go back to her aunt and uncle after what she had done? They would never understand her love for a Wild Boy. And if not back to them, then where else could she go?

But it was also as certain she couldn't go back to Himura. Not without Kenshin. Similarly, she knew she would never be able to lay eyes again on her beloved canyon. The places of such endless joy, each and every time she discovered a new smile of Kenshin, the spot on the floor of Taura's cabin where she had discovered her fearsome warrior of a husband was ticklish and proceeded to exploit the weakness mercilessly, the waters where they bathed together, the hard-packed paths around the village where they would both go walking, his smooth and soft voice telling little anecdotes, memories from a happy little childhood under the care of his big sister.

How could she go back?

She watched Hiko walk away, and then, sick at heart, she returned to the tent she had shared with Kenshin for the last, wondrous night.

She thought of all the time she had wasted, the months she had spent lost in her confusion for the dragons' animalistic characteristics and their connections to Kenshin. And she was so ashamed.

Hiko escorted Kaoru to the foot of the hill where battle-weary men were dug into the land. She had changed into her old shapeless kimono, packed a few belongings into one of Kenshin's war bags. Out of good manners, Hiko had helped her mount the roan, then swung aboard his own horse, not even sparing the soldiers a glance.

He looked at Kaoru, though. A long look of silence before he said, "You made him smile again. Don't lose your smile, or he won't be able to keep his."

Then he was gone, riding down the valley at an easy gallop.

The soldiers were as hospitable as possible under the circumstances. They assumed Kaoru had been a captive, and she let them believe this because it was easier than for her to explain the truth. It was not at all unusual for the dragoners to release captives back to their people, yet another trait of kindness not shared by the New People.

From the bluffs, she could see the long lines of drake people heading southeast, some of her own heading back to Himura. In the distance, she could see the long blue line of New People infantry coming toward her.

The men she was with stood up and cheered. Many of them wept openly, and who could blame them? They had seen death in the faces and the fiery breath of dragons for two nerve-wracking days and now their salvation was at hand.

Later that afternoon, Kaoru sat astride her horse in the midst of the battlefield, surrounded by soldiers. It wasn't like being with the warriors of the Wild People. She had never noticed before how much better her Wild Boys had smelled, or how much more gentle, more playful their nature was than the roughness or outright bawdiness of her people. Already she missed them. Already, she wondered if she shouldn't have at least tried to bear a life with them, without _her _Wild Boy.

The soldiers cursed their enemies and their beasts and lamented their losses, but Kaoru was too wrapped up in her own personal grief to mourn for those she didn't know. Kenshin was dead and she knew her heart and soul had gone on ahead with him. This must have been what he felt like on that ride from the plains to Seiyo.

At night, she only had to close her eyes to summon his face to mind. His beautiful violet eyes, his long, soft hair, the warmth of his smile, the shape of his lips.

During the day, she relived the time they had spent together, and regretted again and again the days she had foolishly wasted wondering if she really, truly belonged with him and could accept his ways or not. Now he was gone, and she knew she would never belong to anyone else the way she had belonged to her Wild Boy.

* * *

She was back in Seiyo. The army went on to the fort and Kaoru rode into town. She had some money, but it would not last forever. Sooner or later, she would have to look for a job, or go back to Uncle Shiji.

She had tethered her horse to a hitch rail and was walking toward the inn when none other than gray-eyed Ataru fell into step beside her.

"Good afternoon, Kaoru-san," he said. His voice was cool and businesslike.

"Ataru-san," Kaoru murmured. She came to a halt, becoming somewhat apprehensive. Did he mean to arrest her for helping Kenshin escape?

"Where is he this time?" Ataru asked flatly.

"He's dead."

He cocked his head to one side, expression skeptical.

"He was killed at Shining Mountains," Kaoru said, fighting the urge to cry.

Ataru grunted softly. "What was he to you, exactly?"

"My husband," Kaoru answered proudly.

"Husband! No holy man in his right mind would marry a decent woman to a Wild Boy!"

"We were married according to the laws of his people."

"You helped him escape, didn't you?"

"Did I?"

"I'm asking the questions here. Kanbayashi doesn't remember a thing that happened that night and he was unconscious for several days. Somebody hit him over the head, you see."

"That's too bad."

"Yeah. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now that the Wild Boy's dead." Ataru grinned wryly. "Beyond the long arm of the law, so to speak."

Kaoru glared at him. She didn't find his attempt at humor the least bit amusing.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "Listen, let's start over again, okay?" He smiled at her, gray eyes twinkling.

"All right," she agreed tiredly. She had no friends and she needed one desperately. And Ataru was a nice man, one she knew could be trusted.

"It's almost time for dinner," he remarked, checking his pocket watch. "Would you join me?"

Kaoru glanced down at her kimono, dusty and grimy from the trail. "I don't think so."

Another wry smile as he quickly understood her dilemma. "I could buy you some new clothes," he offered. "You could think of it as a loan, if you like."

"No need. I have a little money." No need to mention Kenshin had taken it off the men he had killed either.

Ataru nodded. "I have some business to take care of," he said, putting his watch away. "How about if I pick you up at the inn in about an hour?"

"Could we make it two hours? I need to shop and bathe and clean my hair."

He smiled indulgently. Obviously he didn't spend much time with women and had forgotten that it generally took longer for them to get ready. "Sure. See you at seven."

Kaoru secured a room for herself at the inn, dropped Kenshin's war bags on the floor beside the bed. She sat there for a long while, staring into space, more depressed than she had ever known a person could be and still draw breath. Kenshin was gone and she would never see him again.

It was an effort to leave the inn. She had lost interest in how she looked or what she wore. Once, being able to shop for her own clothes would have filled her with excitement, but now, what was the point if Kenshin couldn't see her?

But deeply-instilled manners wouldn't allow her to embarrass the kind Ataru-san by going out into public in her ragged, dirty old clothes.

She purchased a simple kimono of blue-sprigged muslin, new sandals and tabi, and a white ribbon for her hair.

Then, dressed and with her hair freshly washed and brushed and tied up, she stood before the mirror. She might have thought she was almost pretty. It was the first article of clothing that she had ever chosen for herself, and it fit wonderfully. But there was no pleasure. Kenshin wasn't there to share this moment with her, nor any other, ever again.

She tucked a little money inside her clothing, shoved the rest of the currency into the bottom of the war bag. She had been astonished by the amount of money Kenshin had collected there. Apparently, the men who had tried to kidnap her had been successful in their chosen line of work.

Later, sitting across from Ataru in the town's finest restaurant, she reflected that she had no experience with men other than Kenshin and her brief encounter with Kamishi, and she felt a little uncomfortable for it. What were Ataru's motives? Why was he so nice to her?

Kamishi himself would have seemed like a nice young man if one didn't know of his darker side. If one hadn't seen the way he had smiled when he refused Kenshin water, or when he tied her beloved red-headed Wild Boy up to beat him. Kamishi had only wanted one thing from her. Was it possible that Ataru was cut from the same cloth?

They chatted amiably for several minutes. Kaoru studied him. He was handsome, but not nearly as handsome as Kenshin. His hair was dark brown and waved over his forehead. His features were clean-cut. Like Kenshin, his eyes were one of the most arresting features about him. Deep gray, open, and friendly.

They ate in companionable silence, and then, over dessert, Kaoru asked the question that had been plaguing her all evening. She had little practice in the art of flirting or playing the coquette, and the question came candidly and unexpectedly.

"Why are you taking such good care of me, Ataru-san? We hardly know each other."

Ataru looked startled for a moment, then he shrugged. "You're alone. Far from home. And I find you quite the most beautiful woman I've ever met." His eyes smiled into hers. "And I'd like to get to know you better. Much better."

Kaoru's cheeks turned bright red at his bold words and admiring gaze.

Ataru grinned. "I can't remember the last time I saw a woman blush. It's quite becoming."

"You shouldn't say such things, Ataru-san."

"Why not? They're true. I thought about you a lot after you left. I trailed you for a while, but then I lost your tracks. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about you." He leaned forward and placed his hand over hers. "And please, just call me Ataru."

Kaoru met his gaze squarely, then dropped her eyes to the table where his hand covered hers. His hand was large, with long fingers and neatly manicured nails. It looked strong resting on hers. But there had been another hand, a hand she wanted more desperately to be pressing its weight over hers. A much smaller and more slender hand, a hand that was skilled and lethal, and yet so soft and tender when it touched her.

With a sigh, she lifted her head and met Ataru's eyes. "I'm very flattered…Ataru," she said honestly. "But you're wasting your time."

"Don't turn me down before I've had a chance to please my case," he admonished, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I just want to be your friend. Nothing more."

Kaoru looked skeptical. "Nothing more?"

He grinned. "Nothing more," he said sincerely. "For now, I'd just like the chance to get to know you better." He paused, studying her face. "You loved him, the Wild Boy, didn't you?"

"Yes. I don't think I'll ever love anyone as I loved him." Her eyes grew moist, and she didn't even try to stop it. "Perhaps I'll never love anyone again at all."

"You will, in time," Ataru said quietly. "And I want to be there when you're ready."


	13. Where Are You?

13  
Where Are You?

He woke to a great thirst and searing pain in his right side. The sun was blindingly bright when he opened his eyes and he blinked against the harsh glare, his thoughts fuzzy and disoriented.

He made a feeble attempt to stand up, grunted as pain lanced through his lower right side. His hand went to the wound automatically and felt a wet stickiness against his palm. Blood. Closing his eyes, he sank back down on the ground, his hand pressed hard against his side.

Gradually, the pain receded, leaving his mind clear. There had been a great battle. In his mind's eye, he saw it all again: the soldiers sweeping toward them, certain of victory, then turning and fleeing for their lives as they retreated up the grassy slope, pursued by two thousand dragons and their warrior Brothers, drunk on the taste of blood and imminent victory. He had seen Jomei and Master Hiko, heard their rallying shouts as they charged up the hill. "Let's go!" Jomei had thundered. "It's a good day to die!"

But it was the Enemy who was dying. Those of the drakes fought, avenging old wrongs, old hurts, taking a life for every treaty broken, every lie, every dragon slain, every Brother or Sister thrust into chains. Onward they came.

He had been in the thick of the fight when he had been shot. He had been so reluctant to go out on horseback in the first place. He wasn't meant to be cavalry. A horse, while definitely greater in endurance, did not have his godlike speed, couldn't move the way he could. He couldn't trace every bullet in that great rain of bullets, but he might have avoided that one had be been on his own quick feet. He shouldn't have listened to Jomei, who had insisted he go on the back of a horse or a brother dragon, because all of their opposition would also be high on the backs of their own mounts. He should have fought the way he was used to.

The bullet had passed through his right side, just below the ribcage. Then, he was beset by one of the soldiers who wanted to take advantage of his weakness. Only it wasn't a weakness, not yet. Kenshin cut away the barrel of the soldiers gun, leaving him foolishly holding just the useless butt and trigger, and then chased after the cowardly New Person, away from the fighting into the hills, which was another decision he probably should have made differently.

The soldier managed to squeeze off a round from a pistol. The bullet may have been meant for Kenshin, but it hit his horse instead. The animal fell heavily, throwing the Wild Boy clear. He had landed on his wounded side, rolled down the rocky slope, pitched into a narrow defile, and struck his head on a rock and passed out.

No, he should not have gone into this battle on horseback. The mistake had hurt. It had hurt a lot.

He had vague recollections of the sounds of battle fading away, of agonized cries of wounded men and horses, the distant echo of drums, the night-long shouts and cries and bellows and bawls of victory that told him that the drakes had won the fight.

He had been sinking deeper and deeper into the blackness that hovered around him when Kaoru's face flashed before his eyes. She had been calling his name, her lovely blue eyes awash with tears…

Kaoru. He opened his eyes to find that the sun was setting in a blaze of crimson and orange. He pushed himself to his feet, swayed unsteadily as the world spun out of focus. His legs felt like rubber, his mouth was dry, his head was light from loss of blood and lack of food.

It took every ounce of strength to climb out of the gully and when he reached the top, he dropped to his hands and knees, his head hanging, sides heaving from the effort. When his breathing returned to normal, he lifted his eyes to the valley below. His people were gone, the grass had been fired, and the valley lay as silent as death, washed in the bloody glow of the setting sun.

His first thought was of Kaoru. Where had she gone? Lurching to his feet, he stumbled down he hill and began walking toward the place where their tent had stood. Nothing remained now but a blackened patch of ground and the faint outline of where it had been.

Where would she go?

It was an effort to think, to concentrate. The left side of his head was sore and swollen, caked with dried blood, and his whole body ached from tumbling into the gully.

Where would she go?

On trembling legs, he made his way to the river. Dropping to his belly beside the stream, he sank his face in the water, swallowed many times. The cold water bathed his throat, took away the terrible thirst.

Master, he thought. Master would know.


	14. Home Again?

14  
Home Again?

Kaoru smiled as Ataru poured her tea. It was a bright, sunny summer afternoon, and they were picnicking in the shade of a tall tree beside a sleepy stream.

Since her arrival in Seiyo, she had spent most of her time with Ataru, letting him squire her about town. He showed her the sights, took her to dinner each night, entertained her with tales of outlaws he had captured. He was good company, easy to talk to, an interested listener.

Kaoru welcomed his presence. He helped fill the days and take her mind from Kenshin. She cried whenever she thought of her precious Wild Boy lying dead in the valley. What good was living when he was gone? What difference did it make if the sun was warm and the days bright and beautiful? Kenshin was gone.

When she was with Ataru, she forced herself to smile, to laugh, to pretend all was well. Alone in her room in the inn, she sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the wall. All that filled her mind were her days with Kenshin. Her stolen happiness.

Ataru paused in his tale of arresting a particularly nasty character, aware that Kaoru was no longer listening. He had taken a long-overdue vacation in order to spend time with her, daily falling more and more in love, even though he knew she didn't feel the same about him. Looking at her now, he saw that her eyes were soft and dreamy and she thinking about that Wild Boy again. How long did she intend to grieve for that damned little savage, he wondered irritably. How could she have fallen in love with that man in the first place? She was a sweet young woman. How could she have given her heart to a dragoner?

Ataru frowned. It was easy to recall what the Wild Boy had been like. Long red hair, small-built. Had been impassive, even to the point of being considered catatonic the whole ride to Seiyo after his capture--or surrender, as it were. Even so, Ataru hadn't detected any softness in him, no trace of warmth. Why had Kaoru been so drawn to him? Why couldn't she forget him now that he was dead?

Smiling, he reached out to tug at her sleeve. "Hey?" he called softly. "Remember me?"

"I'm sorry, Ataru," she said quietly. "I guess I was daydreaming."

"About him?" He couldn't help the faint note of bitterness in his voice.

"Yes."

"He's dead," Ataru stated flatly. "Dead and gone. You've got to get on with your own life, Kaoru. You can't grieve forever."

"I'm not grieving, not really. I'm…remembering."

"Damn it, I--" Ataru broke off at the expression of dismay in her eyes. Clenching his hands at his sides, he stood up and walked downstream, his mouth set in a hard line. Sometimes he wanted to strangle her, to shake her so hard that it would knock all thoughts of that damned Wild Boy out of her mind. He'd spent his whole life looking for a woman like Kaoru, and now that he'd found her, she was in love with a ghost! He almost wished the dragoner was still alive. A man of flesh could be faced and defeated, but a memory? How did a man go about fighting a memory?

Kaoru let out a long sigh. She hadn't meant to hurt Ataru, but she couldn't help how she felt. She loved Kenshin with all her heart. She would never love anyone that way again, perhaps never anyone at all, as she had already told Ataru. Their time together had been short, so terribly short, and yet he had touched every fiber of her being, infiltrated her senses, completely captured her heart, so that there was no room for anyone else, not even a man as decent as Ataru. For a time, Kenshin had been her whole life. He had been father, mother, friend, and lover. Ataru seemed to think that, because Kenshin had been a Wild Boy, Kaoru's love for him could not have been real. But she has never known anymore more real. Even right here and right now wasn't as real as the intangible joy of being loved by him.

She smoothed her clothes, then folded her hands in her lap as she heard Ataru's returning footsteps.

"I'm sorry," he said. He sat beside her, hands gripping his knees.

"Perhaps we shouldn't see each other anymore," Kaoru suggested.

"Is that what you want?"

"No. I enjoy the time we spend together. It's just that we always seem to end up talking about the same thing, and then you get angry. I can't help how I feel. I loved Kenshin. I always will."

Ataru nodded, his eyes studying her. "He must have been quite a guy," he muttered enviously.

"He was. He was strong and gentle and reliable, and he loved me. I felt safe with him."

"And how do you feel about me?"

"I'd love you if I could," Kaoru said fervently. "I think you're a wonderful man. Perhaps, if I had met you first…" She shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'm a patient man. I still think you'll fall in love again, and I want to be there when the time comes."

Kaoru smiled wistfully, but said nothing. Maybe Ataru was right. But she doubted it the same way she doubted she could hold a snowflake in the palm of her hand all summer long.

"My vacation's over the day after tomorrow, and I probably won't see you for a while."

"Oh?"

"I'm going after a band that raided the next town over a couple of days ago. I've got a pretty good idea of where they'll go to ground, and I plan to be there when they do."

"That sounds dangerous."

He shrugged. "Could be, but I've got two dozen men to back me up."

"I'll…miss you."

She swallowed at the way his eyes alighted. "Will you, Kaoru?"

She nodded. It was true, she would miss him. He was the only friend she had.

"That's the best news I've had in days," he exclaimed jubilantly. Catching her hands in his, he stood and pulled her to her feet, then twirled her around until she was dizzy and breathless. "I love you, Kaoru," he said, his heart in his voice. "I love you very much."

Kaoru didn't resist when he kissed her. His mouth was cool and firm, gentle but insistent. It was a pleasant kiss, but it stirred no emotion, sparked no flame. Ataru didn't seem to notice.

He took her to dinner the following evening. He insisted she order the most expensive meal the restaurant had to offer, and ordered chilled sake with dinner. Kaoru had never tasted the drink before, and after the first few swallows, she found she rather liked the stuff. It relaxed her, making the present seem wonderful and past and future unimportant.

Ataru complimented her dressing, the color of her eyes, the beauty of her smile. He gazed into her face all during dinner, smiling at her as if she were the most fascinating and desirable woman he'd ever known. They talked of his family, and she felt a sense of envy. How wonderful, to belong to a close-knit family, to know there were people who loved you and cared for you, who were there when you needed them. He told her of how his bothers always teased him because he still hadn't found the "right" woman and settled down.

"Maybe I'll surprise them this year," he said, and Kaoru looked away, unable to face the hope shining in his eyes.

Later, walking home, he placed her hand on his arm, then covered her hand with his own. It was a beautiful, star-studded night, warm and clear, fragrant with the aroma of honeysuckle. There was no one else on the street and they strolled along as if they were the only two people in the world...just as once, she had Kenshin had walked through the canyon as the only two people in the world.

There was a narrow alley between the inn and the newspaper office, and when they reached it, Ataru drew Kaoru into the shadows and kissed her, his mouth coaxing, demanding a response. His arms were loose around her waist, gradually growing tighter as his kiss deepened, until her chest was flattened against his.

For just a moment, Kaoru let her battered soul enjoy the warmth of his arms. It felt good to be held, to know that someone cared. She felt so alone. Kenshin was dead, her aunt and uncle did not love her.

Ataru was murmuring in her ear, whispering that he adored her. His hands stroked her back, slid down her sides, his thumbs stroking her breasts.

His touch on such an intimate part of her body snapped her out of her dreamy state and she pulled away, her expression reflecting her indignation. No one but Kenshin had ever touched her like that.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "Forgive me. It's just that…I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she murmured. But it wasn't. It really wasn't.

"Come on," he said, reaching for her hand. "I'll walk you to your room."

Kaoru's thoughts were chaotic as they entered the inn and moved through the hall. Kenshin was dead. Ataru said he loved her, but he was leaving town tomorrow and might be gone for weeks, perhaps months. She was alone in a strange town, with no one to care for her. She had money, enough to get by on for quite some time, but no friends. There were very few decent women in town, and the ones Kaoru had seen did not appear friendly. Ataru would probably continue to court her, always hoping she would learn to care for him, when she knew it would never happen. She liked him, felt a warm affection for him, but she would never love him. Better to end it now than let it go on.

By the time they reached her room, she had made the decision. She was going home, back to her aunt and uncle.

He gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll miss you. Think of me a little while I'm gone."

"I will. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise. I'll be the most careful lawman this territory has ever seen."

Kaoru watched him walk down he hallway, her thoughts leaping forward to tomorrow. The thought of going home kept her awake all that night, and she was at the stage depot early the following morning, only to discover that the next stage going in her direction wouldn't arrive for three weeks.

She thought the days would never pass but finally the sunny morning arrived that she climbed aboard the coach that would take her back to her hometown.

Making herself as comfortable as possible on the hard leather seat, she leaned back and closed her eyes. It…would be good to see the ranch again, to swim in the lake, to work the land and see things grow again. She wondered if her aunt and uncle had missed her at all, if they would be pleased to have her back again. She had run off with a Wild Boy after all. They had never been fond of her. Perhaps now they would disown her completely.

It didn't make her journey any more bearable, and yet, in spite of it all, she was glad to be going home.


	15. Every Time We Try to Fly

15  
Every Time We Try To Fly

The soft sound of a drum penetrated the mists of darkness that surrounded him, carrying him along in a weightless sort of way, back in time.

He was very young again, writhing slowly with the fever and joint-pain of a childhood ailment in his sister's cabin. She knelt by his side, used the end of one of her long braids to tickle his nose. This cheered him, made him smile hazily up at her. The lines of worry faded back from her face. So long as he could still respond, still made a face at that foul-tasting medicine that she fed to him every few hours, she wouldn't worry.

She was purring softly, low and deep in her chest, in the way of fur drakes. It was such a contented sound, a sound he remembered from his earliest memories, when she cradled and rocked him as a baby, soft and constant and unhurried, the very spirit of her.

She stood up, started to leave, but his hand snaked out from under the layer of blankets and grasped her wrist. The words in his mind were pleas for her to stay where he could see her, but the words that came out of his mouth were, "Did I let you down? Have I shamed you?"

She bent low until her forehead rested against his moist, fevered one. "Strange. Those are questions I have always wanted to ask you, my brother."

"Never!" he blurted, grasping her around the shoulders with his arms, though the sickness made his elbows and shoulders hurt so. "Never. Sis--Taura--how could you ever ask?"

"How could you?" Her face was sweet, soft and childish. She kissed him between the eyes. "'Taura', am I? That is a more beautiful name than I could have ever imagined. Thank you, Little Brother. My greatest treasure."

Did she mean him, or the name she gave him? Kenshin touched her cheek. "Taura…" he said, never having been able to say the name to her before, pleased beyond all reason that she liked it. He had thought so hard over her name, trying out sounds he thought beautiful before finally taking it from the lake where he…where he…

Kenshin's eyes flickered open. He wasn't in his sister's cabin, but a wide pergola made of several different kinds of hides sewn together. Thick robes of a wild, wolf scent were laid over him, and an aged old fur drake with very long silver hair knelt beside him. It was Mareo.

Unaware that her patient had regained consciousness, the old dragon purred quietly as she drew a small paper fan over the fire, drawing smoke toward Kenshin, words of a healing chant rising and falling. He could smell blood. Someone had given of their blood to help him.

A young drake woman appeared in his field of vision. She was in her early thirties, with waist-length black hair and almond-shaped eyes the color of ebony. Gently, she lifted his head and held a waterskin to his mouth. For a moment, this reminded him so much of Kaoru that he could only accept two long swallows. Then he felt silly, to feel guilty for something so simple as accepting water from another's hand.

The questions he wanted to ask were forgotten as the pain closed on him again, and he retreated into the waiting darkness, seeking, if not his sister's arms again, than perhaps at least oblivion.

The woman was holding an infant pup to her breast, modestly turned with her back to him.

Kenshin didn't move, but watched, transfixed, as she nursed her pup. She was a beautiful woman, skin smooth and unblemished, rosy in the firelight. Her hair fell like a dark mantle about her shoulders. Her nose was small and straight, her lips full. With great tenderness, the woman lifted the pup from her chest and placed it to her shoulder, gently patting its back.

Kenshin smiled faintly as their eyes met.

"Hello, Kenshin-san. Welcome back from the Land of the Shadows."

"You know me?"

I remember you from the valley. You disappeared the day Saburo was killed. We thought you were dead."

"Only walking in darkness. How did I get here?"

"Your master wasn't quite ready to give up looking for you or at least your body, and he took young Lui with him back to the valley once the others could continue traveling back to your village without being in too much need of his help. It was difficult, but the pup managed to find your scent, and they found you near the bluffs, one foot through death's door."

"Where is my master now?

"He had to catch up with his group, fussing about having to leave them alone for so long just for your sake."

Kenshin shook his head. Well, that certainly sounded like Master Hiko. He wished he had stayed until he woke, though it wasn't really safe to leave their village without his strength for very long.

He spent the next few days regaining his strength. He seemed to be hungry all the time, but the woman, Sumi, and Mareo, who had remained behind with the wounded in this camp, were greatly pleased by his appetite, assuring him it was a very good sign. The women were a bit imposing on him, so much so they squashed any chafing he might have had to being bedridden, sharp looks warning him not to try to get up by himself or to allow his temper to be shortened with each passing day until they were both satisfied that he was strong enough to be out and around.

He began to take short walks through the camp, venturing a little further each day. He asked anyone he met for news of Kaoru, but no one had seen her since they left the valley. Master Hiko had sent her away with the soldiers, and that was all anyone could tell him.

Where would she go? He knew she had no family other than her aunt and uncle--if that could even be called family. Would she have returned to them if she believed him to be dead? It seemed unlikely since she'd been so unhappy there, so eager to leave. Yet, where else could she have gone?

_Master_, he thought irritably.

Mareo had told him that Hiko had looked in on him often while he had been unconscious, but once assured of his apprentice's life, he had gone back to look after the responsibilities he had allowed to pile up while he had been searching for Kenshin in the valley. Something the master might not let him hear the end of, but then, Kenshin had a large enough bone to pick himself, for Hiko to allow Kaoru to leave without finding out if he was truly dead or not first.

But Kenshin's health would not allow for the rough ride Hiko would need to catch up with his people, and the redheaded Wild Boy really was grateful that his master had come back to find him, glad that Hiko still cared enough for him to come back one last time to find him, even if it was just to bury him should he have only found a body.

He had gone back to his bed to rest, thinking of Kaoru, when Sumi came to him.

The comely dragon woman gazed at him, eyes soft with lust. She was offering herself to him, and Kenshin let out a long sigh. He was going to have to be very tactful. It was not at all uncommon for a female who had lost her mate to offer herself to a man, for companionship or pleasure. Intimacy with an unmarried maiden was unthinkable unless taking her on as a mate, but dragons didn't believe here was disgrace in lying with a female who had lost her companion.

"Sumi," he said in a measured tone, wishing very, very much that she had not come to him. He didn't want to offend or shame her by turning her away, but Kenshin had no desire for any woman but his Kaoru, only Kaoru.

"Don't I please you?"

"Yes…but I wouldn't have the strength to please you."

She put a hand on his chest, let it slide slowly downward to where the blanket lay across his hips. "Perhaps I could increase your vigor."

Gently, Kenshin caught her hand before it could go any further and gave it a squeeze. "In…a few days, perhaps."

"I'll be here when you need me," she said, lowering her eyes to hide her disappointment. "You have but to come to my bed."

Kenshin nodded, knowing he would never accept the invitation, but glad he had been able to talk her down without offending her.

There was a community dance the following night, and Sumi asked Kenshin to be her partner many times. Feeling guilty for what had happened the night before, Kenshin agreed more often than not. He needed the exercise anyway, he told himself. Dancing across from her, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of genuine regret that he couldn't love her. She was of the blood. Her traditions and memories were his, her dark eyes were openly adoring when she looked at him. It would be so easy to have accepted the love she was offering him. But he could never forget Kaoru, couldn't erase the image of her from his mind, or her love from his heart, and never wanted to.

He grew increasingly restless and discontent as the days went by, and when a dozen young drakes asked him if he wanted to join in a pack hunt, he agreed.

Sumi regarded him through fathomless black eyes when she learned he was leaving. "You must be feeling stronger."

"A little," he agreed. "I think a few days out will do me good."

"Not as much good as a night with me." She placed a hand on his arm, dark eyes filled with warmth and concern. "Be careful, and come back soon."

His eyes were twitching as he moved away from her camp. She wasn't going to let this go, was she? More than once, he thought about telling her than he already had a wife, but it wouldn't have helped matters much. Fur drakes mated for life, but an armor drake such as she had no problems sharing a husband with another female. Especially these days, when they needed all the pups they could get.

And any unions between man and dragon always produced dragons. Always.

* * *

To Kenshin's great irritation, "pack hunting" the young dragons really meant "raiding". Kenshin hadn't minded taking things from the camp of the men he had killed for kidnapping Kaoru back in the wilderness, because they were dead and could no longer use the supplies. It was very different than actually running down people to take what they had.

In a short flash of temper, he stomped down the youngster's ideas and they went animal hunting instead. They were sullen for a while, perhaps even sorry the had invited the legendary Kenshin along, but perked up once they were swapping stories and roasting meat over a small campfire that evening. It was here that Kenshin really learned the details of Saburo's defeat, but he found himself caring less for the fighting than he ever had before.

That they had won and could keep their homes, and that was good. But...

Kaoru.

The next morning they were about to circle around back to where their camp lay when they came upon a dragon hunter and three skinners.

They saw the body of a white-furred drake in Purest Form, eyes closed forever as the Enemies cut into his hide…and Kenshin felt the familiar, powerful anger creep into his soul. His sister had died in the form of a woman, but had she been Pure, would men such as these have tried to take her pelt too, tried to cut away the crystallized skin around her joints that marked her as a half-breed? His anger grew until there was no room in his mind for anything else.

Dimly he heard the voices of his hunting party, heard their own anger, and then, as one, they raced toward the hunters. The skinners threw down their knives and went for their rifles, but they were far too slow. In seconds, the four men were dead. It took a long time to dig a grave large enough to bury the nameless dragon, and then find enough stones to pile on top so that wild animals would leave him be, but they didn't stop until it was done.

These events were still fresh in their minds when the next afternoon they saw the stagecoach far in the distance. A couple of the young drakes were eager to get back to their camp and suggested they let the coach go in peace, but the others overruled them, still fueled by the terrible death of one of their own.

One young face with hate-filled looked to Kenshin. "Brother Kenshin, you're the eldest among us, but this time, I'm going no matter what you say!"

With this, the youngster kicked his horse's flanks and was racing toward the stage, his friends right at his heels.

Kenshin sighed deeply and urged his horse into a run. The dragon boys really needed to get back to the hills where their hate couldn't overcome them and there were no temptations such as this, but for now, he had to hurry, in case there were women and children on the stage.

* * *

The three passengers exchanged frantic looks as fearsome roars seemed to make the very land shake. One of the men stuck his head out the window, his face turning chalk white as he saw almost a dozen riders coming in on them. Some with horns, a few standing up in the stirrups with wings outstretched. Horrifying, unexpected sights.

"Dragons!" he shrieked, and slid to the floor, his arms over his head. The second man was a priest and with a deep gulp he quietly began to pray for the hour of their death.

The coached rocked violently from side to side as the driver whipped the horses, cursing them for more speed. The sharp crack of a rifle sounded overhead as the stage guard began to fire at the dragons riding down on them.

Kaoru knew a moment of gut-wrenching fear as the warriors surrounded the coach. She heard the driver cry out in pain, heard the guard shout an oath, and then felt the team draw to a halt.

The man huddled on the floor began to babble, "We're going to be killed, we're going to be killed," as the door was jerked open and a few faces with sharp teeth bared peered into the coach.

Kaoru heard the priest asking his deity for forgiveness as she was grabbed by the hair and dragged off her seat.

Moments later, she stood between the other two passengers, her eyes wide with fright as she waited to be killed. She recognized none of these boys, only knew the slant of revenge on their faces. There would be no explaining away the fact that she was a New Person, and it was New People they were hating right now. Time slowed and seemed to almost stop and she saw everything clearly. They sky was a bright, hard blue, the earth was reddish-brown. She could hear the man on her left sobbing helplessly; the priest stood quietly, resigned to his fate. She saw two of the young drakes cutting the team from the traces while two others searched through the baggage on top of the coach, tossing the items they fancied to the ground in a jumbled pile of bright cloth.

Too soon, the drakes had taken everything they deemed to be of value, and Kaoru knew death was only a moment away.

She heard someone else coming at a fast walk, but she didn't look up. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly calmer. Maybe this was what she had really needed all along. In eternity, maybe she would find her Wild Boy again…

Time lost its meaning as she waited. Gradually, she began to understand the voices around her again. Voices, arguing. And she heard his voice, a voice she hadn't thought to hear again on this side of life. Hardly daring to hope, yet wanting desperately to believe, she opened her eyes and saw Kenshin walking toward her. She tried to speak his name, but the world, very suddenly and very thoroughly went away.

"Kaoru. Kaoru, beloved…" His voice, calling her name. But it couldn't be his voice because he was dead.

Slowly, carefully, she opened her eyes. He was bending over her, beautiful plum eyes filled with anxiety.

"You're here," she said, her voice filled with wonder. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You fainted, and you're here, in my arms, where you belong."

Without any warning, she began to blubber, pressing her face into the wolfskin shirt he was wearing. "Kenshin…Kenshin…I th-thought you were dead. I was so sure. I searched all in my heart, but I couldn't feel you there…only a dark place…Kenshin--"

He gathered her close, buried his face in her hair, and they both sat this way for a time until her breathing quieted. Then he gently pulled her back, shaking his head gently but a touch reprovingly.

"Where were you going?"

"I was going…home."

"Why?"

Her forehead scrunched a little in confusion.

"You…you were dead, Kenshin."

"I wasn't. I only got lost for a time. Kaoru, you should have gone back to Himura and waited for me. Why didn't you?"

"You were dead," she repeated, a little numbly. "And no one loves me there."

"No one loves you in the town of your aunt and uncle either." He smiled, but it was a sad, slightly bitter smile, directed at himself. "This is my fault. I should have told you…but I thought you knew where you should go if something happened to me. My people would have protected you in Himura, and you would have been there when I came looking for you."

She shook her head, burying her face in his chest again. "I'm…I'm an idiot," she blurted, unable to face him. "You're right--I should have. Even Master Hiko said so…but I…I just wanted to run. I had nowhere to go, but I wanted to run. I probably wouldn't have stopped at Aunt Urei and Uncle Shiji's…might have kept running until I…until I gave out."

"Hush," he whispered to her, rocking a little. "Hush, now. There's no need to run. I'm here. I'm here now. But next time, next time, my love, _wait _for me. Wait for me in our home. Nothing will ever stop me, not darkness or death. Just please, don't give up on me again. Don't run. Don't go anywhere where I can't find you."

After a time of clinging to each other, Kaoru raised her head a little to peer over his shoulder. "Where are the others?"

"They've gone home."

"Did they…?"

"No. The men who were with you are walking back the way they came."

"You kept them from killing them."

"Yes." He smiled slightly. "It was a little difficult to convince them, but try not to think too badly of them. They were all adolescents, and they've been greatly hurt all these years of their lives. Its hard not to want some kind of revenge when the opportunity presents itself. Do you feel well enough to travel?"

"Yes!" She beamed at him with her tear-stained face. "I think I could fly."

He chuckled, rising to his feet and drawing her up after him. "Let's go."

She didn't ask where, and she didn't care. It was enough that he was alive, and they were together again. He lifted her to the back of his horse, a big gray stallion, swung up behind her, and his arms slid around her waist to draw her close.

Kaoru settled back against his chest thrilling in the warmth of him, relishing the kiss of wind against her face as they raced across the sun-bleached grassland. Kenshin's arm was like steel band, holding her tight. She felt his lips against the back of her head, nuzzling her in the way dragons do, and she smiled. Kenshin was alive…and he had found her again. She felt a little wicked as she contemplated the night ahead.

Dragons showed their most powerful emotions physically, and there was far too much dragon in Kenshin for him not to take the first opportunity to show her his relief, his love, and how much he had missed her, and she was just as eager to show him also.

He drew the horse to a halt as soon as the shadows grew long. The others were not far ahead, but he was in no hurry to catch up with them. They needed to be alone.

She shivered with anticipation as he lifted her from the horse, a little half-growl, half purr noise was low in his throat as he pulled her close to him. Kaoru gazed at him, her eyes shining. His nearness left her breathless, and then he was kissing her, his mouth hungry. They sank to the ground, their hands and lips more eloquent than words as they told each other all that needed to be said.

They caught up with the others the following afternoon, and two days later, they came back to the little place where the small group of drake people camped.

It had dwindled quite a bit as warriors had healed up from the battle and made their way back to their homes in the higher lands. Fewer than twenty tents were still up, the last few families waiting for their hunting packs to return.

Kenshin drew rein before Sumi's tent, and helped Kaoru to the ground. Taking her by the hand, he led her inside, where Sumi was kneeling by the firepit, her son asleep in her arms.

"Kaoru, this is Sumi. Sumi, this is my wife, Kaoru."

The two women exchanged curious glances. But then, as Kenshin's gazed moved from the face of one woman to the other, he saw a shadow of jealously crawl over Sumi's face, and a thin smile move over Kaoru's. He began to sweat. He would have to be dead not to sense the animosity between them, and he realized, entirely too late, that he had made a grave mistake bringing Kaoru to Sumi's tent.

_Master's right, I am an idiot!_ He squirmed a little in the long silence, wondering what he could do to fix this. What else could he have done, exactly? He didn't have lodgings of his own to shelter himself or Kaoru, and it would take several days to make one. It had seemed logical to bring her back to the place where he had been taking shelter these past weeks.

He swallowed hard and said, "Maybe we should find other lodgings."

"No," Sumi said quickly. "You're welcome here." She spared a glance at Kaoru. "Both of you."

Kenshin groaned inwardly through the smile plastered over his face. He was trapped now. It would have been extremely rude to decline her invitation of hospitality, and he could not be rude to her. Not after all she had done to help Mareo get him well again. He was going to have to manage a place of his own, very, very soon.

* * *

Life in Sumi's tent was strained, to say the least. Kaoru felt ill at ease living in another woman's property, ill at ease and in the way. Sumi refused to let her help with the chores, insisting she was a guest, yet making her feel like she wasn't a guest at all, but an unwelcome intruder.

And she didn't miss the way Sumi's eyes lingered on Kenshin's face, the many excuses she found to touch him. She praised his hunting skills when he brought in his kills to feed them, listened with rapt attention whenever he spoke, jumped to see to his every wish. But worst of all was the fact that Kaoru never got to see him alone. It was Sumi's tent, and she was always there.

Things came to a head one night. The camp was now of fifteen tents, mostly those who were undecided where they wished to go, back to the mountains or the hills, and it was Kenshin's decision to make certain all were safely on their way before he decided where he might go himself. The males had returned from a successful hunt that would provide a lot of meat for the journey. More than they needed, in fact, which was why they decided to have a feast to celebrate.

Kaoru was fascinated by the singing and dancing that went far into the night. As always, first there was the warrior's dance, and Kenshin had to be pulled along into it by the other warriors for the short move around the fire. Then came time for the social dancing. Some dances were for mates only, and some were for maidens and unmarried warriors.

Kenshin offered to teach Kaoru some of the dance steps, but she declined with a grin. Dragon dancing was so wild and fast, and she thought she might enjoy teaching Kenshin a slower sort of waltz from her own world when she got a chance.

She was about to offer him something to eat when Sumi appeared, tapping him on the shoulder. "Kenshin-san? A word with you? Please?"

Kenshin blinked at the other woman, then looked at Kaoru and shrugged. "I'll be right back, my love," he said.

For a moment, Kaoru sat where she was and watched as her husband walked away with another woman. A beautiful woman. A woman who made no secret of the fact that she found Kenshin desirable. A stab of jealousy shot through her. They looked well together, Kenshin and Sumi, as they walked, with the firelight throwing shadows across their skin and highlighting their starkly different hair. Sumi spoke to Kenshin and he laughed softly. He was handsome, Kenshin. So handsome. And the dragon woman with the white, opaque horns was very beautiful.

But it was when Sumi took hold of his arm and led him into the shadows that rage flashed through Kaoru. Almost before she realized what she doing, she got up and followed them, her footsteps both fast and feather-light as she hurried after them. She came to an abrupt halt when she saw Kenshin and Sumi silhouetted in the darkness.

"I could make you a good wife," Sumi was saying, her voice low and soft, like silk ruffled by a summer breeze. "I know we would be good together."

Kenshin started to speak, but Sumi placed a hand over his mouth. "I would not mind being a second wife," she assured him as she placed her free hand on his chest. "I could give you pups as well. Many pups. Dragon pups. Your blood will help your sister's kind live on."

Kaoru's entire body quivered with rage, her heart shattering within her, and then she stepped out of the shadows.

"You can be his first wife," she said in a voice of frost. "I'm going back to my own people."

She didn't wait to see what effect her words had on Kenshin. Turning on her heel, she fled into the sheltering darkness, her eyes burning with tears, her heart churning with pain and despair.

She ran through the night with no destination in mind, knowing only that she had to get as far away from Sumi and Kenshin as possible. She ran until she was breathless, her lungs filled with fire as hot as any dragon's, her legs like rubber, and then she sank down on the ground, her hand pressed to her side.

She had thought herself a woman grown, capable of handling her emotions, until she met Sumi. The dragon woman was stunning, mature, serene. She shared a common background with Kenshin, was one of his sister's people, understood him in ways Kaoru never would. She had often heard them reminiscing about the past, recalling people and places Kaoru had never heard of. They had the same heritage, the same customs and belief. They were the same kind, drake people.

She heard nothing to indicate he had followed her. One minute she was alone, and the next he was kneeling beside her.

"Kaoru--"

"Go away."

"Let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain."

"No?"

"No. Sumi loves you and you obviously care for her." Kaoru shrugged. "I hope you'll be very happy together."

Kenshin made a wordless sound of frustration. "Kaoru, you speak foolishness."

"Do I? I heard what she said. She practically begged you to marry her."

"But I didn't accept."

"Why not?" Kaoru flung the words at him, wishing she could hurt him as she had been hurt. "She's crazy about you. I saw the way she looked at you tonight. The way she looks at you every night. I've seen how she caters to your every wish, how she smiles at you. Oh, just go to her and leave me alone!"

"Kaoru, look at me."

"No."

He didn't ask again. Instead, he cupped her chin in the palm of his hand and gently forced her to face him. "You have no reason to be jealous of Sumi."

"I'm not jealous," she retorted, but she was lying and they both knew it.

"If I tell you there's no reason for your jealousy, will you not believe me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because she's so beautiful. And because she's drake and Wild, like you. You have so much more in common with her than with me…" Suddenly, all her fears and unhappiness erupted in a flood of tears. "Oh, Kenshin," she sobbed. "I'm so afraid of losing you again."

"Don't be afraid, Kaoru. You have nothing to fear."

"I can't help it. Tell me the truth. Wouldn't you rather have a dragon for a wife, for the mother of your children?" She lowered her eyes to the ground. "She said she would give you pups. Dragon pups. You've fought so hard for the dragons, and you could help bring more of them into the world."

Kenshin stroked her hair, then again lifted her chin, his eyes meeting hers, holding her gaze captive. "I want only you, Kaoru," he said, slowly and clearly. "Only you."

"Truly?"

"Truly." Softly, gently, he kissed her, and the passion between them bloomed like flowers in the spring, and Kaoru felt very suddenly starved for his affection, grasping onto it hungrily.

"Kaoru," he chided gently. "We have all night."

"I can't wait," she answered shamelessly. "Don't make me wait. It's been so long."

Kenshin grinned into the darkness as her hands crept over his body, exploring all over again. "You won't have to wait long," he promised. "It's been just as long for me."

Later, as she curled against him in the enclosing darkness she heard him whisper, "You're my woman, my Kaoru." His arms tightened possessively. "The only woman. There will never be another, not in this life. You are more than plenty."

Kaoru's cheeks burned as they entered Sumi's tent the following morning, but she didn't look away. Instead, she held her head high and met the woman's curious gaze in what she hoped was a look of mature self-assurance.

Entering the lodge behind her, Kenshin put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"It's time we had our own lodgings," he told Sumi. He grinned cheerfully. "Winter is coming, and we can't spend all our nights in the woods."

Sumi nodded stiffly. "I understand."

"I'll continue to provide you with meat," he promised. "And protection." A dragon Sumi was, but she was no fighter.

"I am grateful."

Kaoru was smiling when they left Sumi's place. At last, she would have Kenshin all to herself. His attempts to teach her to cook better were only marginally successful, but she would do her best, and she'd definitely care for him and spoil him in ways Sumi had never thought of.

Kenshin spent the rest of the day borrowing hides from the remainder of the Wild People still lingering on the camp. It took twenty hides to make a collapsible, portable tent, and when they had what was required, Sumi showed Kaoru how to sew them together. Other women came to help, shooing Kenshin away from the unmanly task, laughing and talking as they sat in a large circle. Kaoru was glad for their help. Sewing twenty hides together would have taken her several days to accomplish.

Chased away from the piecing, Kenshin instead spent most of the day searching for wood for the tent poles and then stripping away branches and bark. With so much help come to them, their own lodgings were finished by nightfall.

Kaoru was spreading out the wolf hide robes she and Kenshin usually slept on when he ducked under the flap, his eyes lighting when they came to rest on his wife's face.

Kaoru smiled and held out her hands to him. "Welcome home."

Kenshin walked into her arms, nuzzled her hair for a moment in that dragonish way before lowering his face again for a kiss.

* * *

Summer was fleeing when the last of the camp decided they wanted to return to Old Home, Sumi included. Kenshin would escort them back to the Shining Mountains, show them the pathways inside, then go with Kaoru back to Himura, correctly assuming that she would probably prefer to live in the sunshine.

He had reason to be worried. Two days before the camp decided to pack up and leave, a Wild Boy had ridden across their camp with news of similar camps as Kenshin's had been butchered or scattered by soldiers who wouldn't leave Saburo's death unavenged. The Wild Boy only stayed long enough to eat and trade his weary mount for a fresh horse before riding off to warn others. It was past time to get to higher ground.

Just as their trek began, Kenshin began to suspect his wife was pregnant, and then when she began to become ill every morning, he was certain of it.

To his amusement, he had to explain to her what was happening, and then caught her when she shrieked happily and threw herself into his arms. His own joy spilled over as hers poured into him, exultation such as he never knew he could feel.

He was going to be a father!

But as the days passed, her nausea showed no signs of decreasing. The constant walking helped only some, but he could see she was getting discouraged, and even he wondered if she was doomed to spend her pregnancy vomiting every time she smelled roasting meat or saw a slice of raw venison.

It was hard for him to sit by and watch her retching uncontrollably and know there was nothing he could do to ease her discomfort. The fact that she never complained only made it harder for him to bear. His sister never complained either, never showed when she was hurting or needed help, and it had driven him crazy.

He curtailed his activities with the other men, which had never been all that much anyway, to stay by her side, telling her often that he loved her, that she was beautiful, because it seemed like these would be good things to say to her when she was feeling so bad. He helped her with the chores, even though it was considered highly unmanly for a warrior to gather wood or draw water from the river. He told her stories of his people, hoping to take her mind from the queasiness that plagued her.

It was on a cool morning just as they were touching the foothills of the Shining Mountains when he took her away from the camp, hoping a change of scenery and a few hours away from the ever-present smell of roasting meat would help her to feel better. They walked deep into the forest until they reached a small crystal pool, and there, in a clearing beneath a sun-dappled willow, he held her close his hand lightly stoking her hair, lips trailing butterfly kisses on her face.

She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was pretty in the forest. The trees were changing into brilliants oranges and reds, the grass was soft, the air was sweet and clean. The camp, with all of its confusion and smells, seemed far away.

She glanced up, her eyes lingering on his face. "You're wonderful, Kenshin," she murmured. "You're the most thoughtful person I've ever known. How could anyone think of you as a savage?"

He only shrugged and then leaned his head forward lightly to kiss her. His mouth was soft on hers, demanding nothing in return, only wanting to give her pleasure, to reassure her of his love. Her hand delved inside his shirt to lie against his chest, over his heart, which he had long ago noticed was one of her favorite places on him to touch. Then her palm began to slide down and up again, stroking his chest and abdomen.

"Kaoru, do you know what you're doing?" he murmured, arms tightening around her.

"Oh, yes," she replied. "Do you mind?"

"Should we?"

She laughed quietly, raising an eyebrow at the troubled expression on his face. "Don't you want to?"

"That's a foolish question, and you know it," Kenshin said. "But I don't want to hurt you or the pup."

"It'll be all right," she assured him and, obviously not in any mood to hear his protests, began to undress him.

Soon they were lying side by side in the soft grass. Kenshin nuzzled his favorite places in her hair and on her neck a few moments before he looked down on her with a thoughtful expression. Then he moved on top of her, and, with a quick, smooth movement, rolled over and carried her with him so that she was on top of him instead.

He grinned at her startled expression, laughing softly. "I don't want to hurt the pup," he explained, then sucked in his breath when she leaned forward to mimic his dragonlike affections by rubbing her nose and cheeks around the ticklish spots beneath his chin.

"I appreciate your concern," she whispered in his ear.

"Any time," he said huskily.

* * *

Kaoru frowned in her sleep, the sound of gunfire and angry roars intruding her dreams and bringing her to quick awareness. She sat up, her eyes darting about until she saw Kenshin standing behind her, his face a mask of fearful anger.

"What is it?" she cried, scrambling to her feet.

"Soldiers," he hissed, voice ragged with rage. "They found the camp." He fixed her with a hard stare. "Stay here. Don't move from this place until I return."

It was a stupid question, but it flew out of her mouth anyway. "Where are you going?"

"To fight."

She took a deep breath. "What if the soldiers come here?"

"They won't harm you. You're one of them."

For some reason, the words cut across her heart like a knife. It was the full truth, and yet it was a tactless thing to say. Kenshin was close to completely becoming that driven thing Mareo had spoke of back in Himura. But though she was afraid, Kaoru's mind was clear. The soldiers might find her here, and she had been living with people whose predominant occupations were as hunters and warriors. She had heard the campfire tales, the warnings that those who had just engaged in a life or death struggle would often do things they regretted later, acts of violence they would be deeply ashamed of when their blood cooled and sanity returned. If she was found here, alone and unprotected, they might not look twice to see if she was one of them or not, and even if they could see that she was, then it was as likely as not they still would…

She saw the turmoil written on Kenshin's face, miserably uncertain of how to both see to his wife's safety and to go to the aid of his people.

Then there was a quick burst of rifle fire, and then an ominous stillness settled over the land.

A noise, a strangled noise between a snarl and a growl burst from Kenshin. He didn't look at Kaoru. Pain and rage were all over his face. "The roars are silenced. I've got to go to the camp. Wait here."

She nodded and sat down to wait, silent tears tracking down her cheeks.

Occasional sounds drifted her way. At first they were bursts of obscene laughter, sometimes the sound of a single gunshot, an animal's (or was it a dragon's?) squeal of pain, a woman's frightened scream.

The people she had worked with and laughed with were dying there, brutally slain because of what they were. Because they refused to surrender to the will of the New People. Because they killed a hero of the New People, Saburo.

The sounds began to change. The frightened shouts were now all those of men, and distantly, she heard Kenshin's voice, his enraged cries. Gunshots rang out anew, but still she heard them dying as the angry Brother of Dragons took his revenge on them.

What could she do? Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't both of their peoples just let each other live in peace? Why couldn't they even live together? Why couldn't the New People have just stayed in their old country and left the drake people alone?

Kaoru buried her face in her hands, tears falling unchecked. Why couldn't everyone just leave her and Kenshin alone? Why was it every time they fell and then caught each other, something like this had to happen? Why was it that every time they had just begun to feel happy, to greet the future with open hearts, the world seemed to lash back at them, tearing everything they tried to built together asunder? Why?

There was no one to answer her.

The hours dragged by. As if ashamed of the people it warmed every day, the sun hid its face behind the mountains, and a keening wind blew through he trees, rustling leaves and stirring dust. The shadows grew long. Kaoru didn't move. Kenshin said not to leave her spot, so she stayed, waiting.

Then she saw him walking toward her, leading two horses and a pack mule heavily laden with hide robes and parfleches.

She got to her feet, her eyes searching for his. But his hair shadowed his eyes again. He was shutting things out again.

"The soldiers are dead," he said, voice hard and flat. "All of them. Mareo is alive, but was wounded. She hid with several of the pups. I took them into the mountain and left them with the sentries there. They'll be fine."

It was a desperate relief to hear that the old kind old dragon woman and a few pups had lived, but…

"Sumi?"

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Kaoru said inadequately. "So sorry."

He nodded, then reached for her and lifted her onto the back of one of the horses. "We can't go into the mountain," he said, biting off the reason why, though Kaoru felt an ugly tear on her heart as she thought she could guess any reasons, all of them having to do with her. "We have to find a safe place to stay where you can give birth to our pup."

He swung aboard his own horse and took up the reins of the pack mule and headed south. Kaoru's hands shook as she handled her own reins. They weren't heading in the direction where Himura lay.


	16. Ataru's Mission

16  
Ataru's Mission

Ataru loosed a long, weary sigh as he stepped from his horse. He couldn't believe how long he had been gone, but then, he had never dreamed that tracking that gang would prove to be such a monumental task. It had taken forever. And that had been the easy part. They had caught them out in the open and there had been a brief, bloody battle. Ataru had lost four good men, the gang had lost six, and the others had surrendered. But the leader himself had managed to escape. Ataru had sent his men back to town with the captured outlaws while he trailed the leader. He found his man in a two-bit tavern in a backwater little town that probably wasn't even on the map. Ataru had relieved him of his gun, but the man had pulled a hideaway weapon and Ataru had been forced to kill him. And now, at last, he was home again. Some of his weariness left him as he contemplated a hot bath, a cold drink, and an evening with Kaoru.

He had thought of her constantly on the long ride back to Seiyo, remembering the way she laughed, the way her hair swayed when she moved.

Leaving his trail-weary mount at the livery barn, he walked down the main street toward the office to write his report. It took the better part of an hour to get it all down on paper.

Ataru leaned back in his chair. Two of the men who had been killed had wives who would have to be visited even though they had already been notified of their husbands' deaths. It was the worst part of his job.

Swearing quietly, he signed his name to the report, then went to his room at the boardinghouse to get cleaned up. Forty minutes later, dressed in clean clothes, he went to visit the widows. It was a job that never got any easier, no matter how often he did it.

He was feeling rotten an hour later when he headed for the tavern. One man's wife seemed to handling her loss well, but the other, well, she had gone into hysterics at the mention of her husband's name and it had taken a quarter of an hour just to calm her down.

Ataru swallowed the first cup in a single gulp, lingered over the second one. He wondered again if it wasn't time to call it quits in his line of work. It was a rough life, being a lawman, laying one's life on the line day after day. Spending weeks away from home chasing outlaws, wrestling drunks, writing endless reports, upholding the law. A hard job, he mused, and usually a thankless one.

He thought of one of the wives of his dead men, six months pregnant with her third child. Why was it always the married men who got killed? Men with families.

He tossed off his drink and left the tavern, eager to see Kaoru, needing to hear her voice, see her smile It was a moment he had been looking forward to all day.

He was whistling softly when he entered the inn. He walked the familiar hall, felt his heart beat fast as he knocked at her door. And then knocked again. He frowned when there was no answer.

Returning to the lobby, he stopped at the desk and asked the clerk if he knew where Kaoru-san had gone.

"She checked out a long time ago," the clerk said, checking the register.

"Checked out? Did she say where she was going?"

"Not as I recall." The clerk studied the worried expression on Ataru's face, then his memory was jogged when Ataru flashed a coin. "I believe she took the stage east," he drawled. "Toward a little place called Iyo, I think."

Ataru gave his thanks and his money and, disappointed, left the inn and made his way back to the office. So she had gone home. He swore under his breath, hurt more than he cared to admit because she had left town without a word.

He was thumbing through a sheaf of wanteds an hour later when one of his men sauntered in.

"Welcome home," the man greeted.

"Thanks," Ataru said listlessly. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"One of the boy's broke his leg rescuing one of the seamstress's cats from a tree," came the chuckled reply. "Oh, and one of the coaches from here was attacked by Wild Boys or dragons or something. I wish the army would hurry up and round up those savages and animals once and for all."

Ataru felt the short hair rise along the back of his neck. "Which coach was it?"

"I don't remember. Happened two, three weeks after you left town."

"Did anyone go looking for the stage?"

"Sent a man out. He found the bodies of the driver and the guard."

"No passengers?"

The man shook his head.

Ataru thrust the wanted posters into his hands. "Finish these. I'll be back in a few minutes."

It took twenty-four hours for the answer to his wire to arrive. It was the longest twenty-four hours of his life. He knew, deep down he knew even before he read it, what the answer would be. Kaoru had never arrived in Iyo.

Twenty minutes later he was riding out of town following the stage depot's eastbound route. He was on a fool's errand, and he knew it, but he had to see for himself. He found the burned-out shell of the coach three days later, set alight by dragon's fire most likely. Time and the elements had erased whatever tracks he might have been able to follow.

Swinging aboard his horse, he rode in ever-widening circled around the coach, hoping against hope he might find some clue as to Kaoru's fate.

He came upon a shallow stream some fifteen miles from the coach. And there, wedged between two moss-covered rocks, he found what remained of two bodies. The tattered remnants of their clothing identified them as male.

Ataru cursed under his breath. The man that had been sent must not have looked very hard or very long, he thought angrily. He probably took a quick glance at what was left of the coach and hightailed it back to town. And who the hell could blame him?

He stared at the remains, his eyes thoughtful. How had these men managed to escape from the stage? Dismounting, he took a closer look and saw an arrow embedded in the ribcage of one of the men. Dragons didn't use arrows, but Wild People sometimes did.

Ataru frowned. Something here just didn't add up. It was obviously dragons who attacked the stage, and yet if it was a someone Wild traveling with them who shot down these men, why allow them to get a hour's distance on horseback from the coach before killing them? Two men on foot, getting that far when there were Wild People and dragons on their heels? Not at all likely.

He dug a shallow grave and buried the bodies, marking it with a pile of rocks in case the families of deceased wanted to retrieve the remains for a proper burial.

Remounting his horse, he sat staring into the distance. Where was Kaoru? If he kept riding, would he find her body decaying on the grasslands, or had the savages or animals taken her prisoner? Her image played across his mind: huge blue eyes, long black hair, the smile of an angel. And then he thought of her living as a slave in some savage's hovel and knew he couldn't go back without at least trying to find her.

The next two days were long. The weather was cold, the wind blew icy gusts, and dark clouds gathered over the face of the land.

Ataru was about to give up and turn for home when he came across what looked to be like a large Wild campsite. His horse snorted and rolled its eyes as they approached it. The smell of death was heavy in the air. Several large black vultures squeaked noisily and took to the air at his approach.

The lawman felt his stomach churn as he dismounted and picked his way through the carnage. Predators and scavengers had been at the bodies, all of whom were soldiers. Most were picked almost clean. Someone had dug several graves in the shade of the trees. He felt his anger rise when he passed several tiny graves. There was no reason to make war on women and children, he thought bitterly. Wasn't it enough that the men were trying to kill off each other without attacking harmless infants?

He walked through the entire camp, poked into every hide tent that hadn't been totally destroyed, hoping to find some clue that Kaoru had been there and escaped, but he found nothing, only ashes and graves and bodies and bits of burned cloth.

Utterly discouraged, he swung aboard his horse and rode away from the camp, eager to put distance between himself and whatever ghosts lingered there.

There was nothing to do now but go back to town, he thought wearily. Any drakes who might have survived would be long gone, and Kaoru with them if she still lived. If she had ever been at this camp. He shivered as a light rain began to fall. He refused to believe that Kaoru had been killed.

She was alive and somehow, someday, he would find her again.


	17. Haunting Dreams

17  
Haunting Dreams

It was a country of ravines, bluffs, canyons, and valleys, a wild, untamed land that few New People had ever seen. White-throated swifts, rock wrens, and cliff swallows nested on the face of high white cliffs. So much undisturbed wildlife roamed the wooded canyons.

Kaoru had never felt so alone. The loneliness had nothing to do with the absense people in the area, but was born of the deep gulf that had once against stretched between herself and Kenshin. He had withdrawn into himself completely, and once again shut her out. He rarely spoke, and she almost never saw his eyes. And in the few times she did, there was a haunting bitterness and sadness. His guilt was overwhelming, that he hadn't been there with his people when the camp had been attacked.

He spent long hours away from her. Hunting, he said, and he always came back with game. But she knew he was avoiding her. Several times she tried to speak to him, tried to persuade him to tell her what he was feeling, to tell her what she could do to help, but he never had an answer for her.

A few weeks slid by this way. Kaoru was sick at heart over the breach between then, but she was too busy to dwell on it. Kenshin had salvaged one of the hide tents and it took her several days to repair it and make it livable. There was food to prepare, wood and water to gather, herbs and vegetables to dig. She tanned the hides Kenshin brought her and spent long hours fashioning warm garments for the two of them. It seemed to Kaoru that they had spent most of their life together setting up housekeeping only to have their efforts destroyed by one calamity or another.

Life soon settled into a routine of sorts. They had a snug home, clothes to last through the coming winter, a good supply of fresh meat and jerky.

And now, with the hardest portion of setting up a new camp behind them, the rift between them loomed larger than ever. Kenshin had not touched her since the camp was destroyed, and she longed to be held in his arms, to feel the security of his strength, to hear his voice whispering that he loved her. But he didn't seek her bed, and she had no idea of how to cross the distance between them.

Kenshin stirred restlessly, unable to sleep for the conflicting emotions that warred within him. He glanced at Kaoru, sleeping peacefully across the fire, then got up quietly and left the tent.

Outside, the night was cool and quiet. The ever-countless stars twinkled above, a quarter moon hung low in the sky. Slowly, he began to walk the narrow, winding stream that watered the valley. He was treating Kaoru unfairly, and he knew it. It wasn't her fault that she was a New Person, nor would he wish her to be anything but what she was. And yet…yet some of his ever-growing hatred for the New People had spilled over onto her. He had walked through the camp after he had killed the soldiers, saw the mutilated bodies of men he had fought alongside, women he had spoken with, children whose laughter he had shared, and it had been as though his heart had turned to stone.

_It is enough_, his soul had cried in anguish. _It is enough_.

He had covered the bodies with blankets and hides, placing family members together. He should have been there when it happened. Then most of these people might still live. He lingered by Sumi's body, remembering both the kindness she had shown and the times she kept offering herself to him.

Love hurt so much… He thought of his precious sister, an orphan taking in another orphan so that they might love each other in place of their lost parents. He wondered about those parents. He thought of his own mother and father, one of which must have bequeathed him with his bright red hair and life of distinction, wondered how he had come to be crawling alone out in the forest before a little dragon girl had come out and found him? Did the New People kill them too? Would they destroy everything, in the end? Would they continue to take away pieces of his soul until there was nothing left? He thought of Kaoru, growing big with his child…if he lost her, it would be more than he could bear. He had known that for a long time. And so he had shut her out of his heart, refusing to touch her, not speaking to her unless it was absolutely necessary.

But his body betrayed him. He might lie to himself. He might tell himself that he no longer loved her, he might pretend to scorn her because she was born of the Enemy, but his body cried out for her touch, for the taste of her kiss, for the comfort of her arms.

So he walked, hour after hour, tormented by the needless deaths of his people, by his inability to stop it, but the loss of all he held dear. Walked until his body was weary and cried out for rest. Only then did he return to the tent and the blessed forgetfulness of sleep.

* * *

Kaoru woke early. The night had been troubled, pride warring with need. Time and again she had started to each out for Kenshin, to beg him to tell her what was wrong between them, to plead for his love again. If only he would talk to her, perhaps she could help. If he spoke of his pain, it would be easier to bear.

She looked at Kenshin and saw that he was in his usual place, sitting up with the sword on his shoulder, still asleep.

She needed him, needed his strength now more than ever. Why didn't he know that? She was carrying his child, and while the thought of having Kenshin's baby filled her with delight, she didn't know anything of childbirth, nothing of caring for an infant. She needed reassurance, needed to know that he still cared.

She left her bed and stepped out of their lodgings. Perhaps a long walk would help her feel better. Wrapping her arms around herself, she followed the path of the stream, lost in thought. Things couldn't go on like this indefinitely. She would have to confront him soon, force him to speak with her…

…and if he still refused, what then?

She was about to turn back for home when a low growl sounded from behind a tangled clump of brush. Kaoru took a step backward as a big black bear reared up on its hind legs, its pointed snout sniffing the air.

She felt herself go cold with fear as she began to back away. The movement excited the bear and it dropped down on all fours and pushed its way through the brush, lumbering toward her, its thick pink tongue lolling out the side of its mouth.

Kaoru continued to back away, unable to take her eyes from the animal. Though not nearly as impressive as a dragon, it was still so big, and had nothing of a dragon's reason. Its teeth were yellow, claws plenty long enough, sharp enough, to tear her to shreds.

She was about to turn and run when Kenshin's voice came from her left. "Don't move."

She obeyed without hesitation, though her heart was pounding like a runway locomotive.

The bear continued toward her, its rank breath carried to her by the faint breeze. She closed her eyes, but she wasn't truly afraid anymore. Kenshin was here.

There was a rush of wind and a deep thump, and when she opened her eyes, the bear lay dead and Kenshin stood between them, blood dripping from the length of his sword.

She felt the strength drain from her limbs as she stared at the bear, knew she would have fallen if Kenshin hadn't stepped forward and slipped his arm around her waist.

"Kaoru!" he scolded. "What were you doing so far from camp?" He shook her once, then drew her close. "Why did you leave without waking me?"

"I needed some time alone," she said. She began to shiver as she thought of what would have happened if Kenshin hadn't come looking for her when he did.

"Kenshin," she said softly. "Please don't hate me anymore."

The hard shell around Kenshin's heart cracked and he buried his face in her hair, then, jabbing the point of his sword into the ground, he placed his hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes, felt the sweet pain of loving her mushroom in his heart.

"I don't hate you, my love," he said fervently. "I could never hate you."

"But you've never been so far away from me. Why did you shut me out now?"

"I've been punishing myself," he admitted.

"Kenshin…"

He placed a hand over her mouth, stifling her words. "I knew I wouldn't want to live if you were taken from me, so I…I tried to stop loving you." He smiled ruefully. "Only those you love can hurt you, and that is pain that I can't bear without breaking but so many times."

He glanced at the bear, and then his eyes moved to her face again. "You might have been killed," he said thickly, "and it would have been my fault for driving you away, and here is all this time I have wasted, trying not to love you when that's all I've wanted to do. Forgive me, Kaoru-dono. I've behaved badly. You should be very angry with me."

Kaoru laughed, a little giddily. Turning her head, she grasped one of her hands and kissed the palm. "There's nothing to forgive," she said. "Just don't shut me out again. I can bear anything but your indifference."

Kenshin smiled as he drew her body against his. "Oh, I was never indifferent toward you, my love."

Kaoru's arms slid around his neck as he kissed her, filling her with wonder and desire and a sense of coming home. Once again, she was back where she belonged.

* * *

The days grew shorter, the nights longer and colder. Great storms made war in the heavens, and Kaoru huddled in Kenshin's arms, hiding from the rolling crashes of thunder that shook the earth and the jagged bolts of lightning that slashed through the clouds.

Winter had come with a vengeance. It rained for days on end, making it virtually impossible to leave the tent. A great depression settled over Kaoru as one storm followed another. She tried to keep occupied by sewing clothes for the baby, but she was haunted by a recurring nightmare in which her child was born dead and she herself lay gasping for breath, calling for a doctor who wouldn't come. Morbid thoughts seemed to hover around her continually, and she couldn't shake them off.

Kenshin was troubled by her lethargy, by the dark shadows under her eyes. She rarely smiled now, and never laughed. When he asked her what was wrong, she couldn't tell him. Daily, she seemed to grow thinner, so that her rounding belly seemed even larger than it was.

It was on a cold, snowy night that she woke in tears, her nightmares so real that she was certain her child had been born right into his death.

Kenshin woke at her first cry, his eyes dark with concern as he gathered Kaoru, sobbing, into his arms. "Kaoru, please tell me what's troubling you," he begged. "Please? I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

Kaoru shook her head. She couldn't tell him she was a coward, that she was afraid of something as simple and ordinary as childbirth. And how could she tell him about the nightmares? Surely he would think she was just being silly. But they were so real, so terrifyingly real.

"Don't you trust me, Kaoru?" he queried softly.

"Of course I trust you."

"Then you must trust me to help you. I can't stand seeing you this way."

With a sigh, Kaoru buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm afraid," she whispered. "I dream of the baby. It's a boy, and he's so beautiful, so perfect. But he doesn't breath, Kenshin, he doesn't breathe!"

A cold chill slithered down Kenshin's spine. His people believed in dreams, in visions, in spiritual manifestations. Were Kaoru's nightmares simply a normal part of her pregnancy, part of the fear that all women had when their time drew near, or was it a warning?

He cradled her, rocking gently, while his mind worked. They could…go back to Himura, he supposed. He had been avoiding that because he didn't want to find out if the hill villages were barring out New People the way the colonies in the mountains were now. Hiko wouldn't keep them out of his own village, of course, but in a moment of weakness, Kenshin simply did not want to know if the hate had finally infected his people so deeply, did not want to linger on the thought that perhaps one day the dragons would begin rejecting even their own humans if things continued down this path.

But even as he thought of it, Himura wouldn't really be any better than just staying here alone. One thing the New People definitely had over the drake people was medicine. Those who lived with fur drakes had little to fear with normal things, and their knowledge with herbs was good, but difficult childbirth was a concern for everyone. The blood of fur drakes could do nothing for this any more than it could give breath to a stillborn pup.

But there were doctors in the New People towns who had great knowledge, would know what to do about all sorts of impediments…if it would save both Kaoru and the child…

He set his jaw. "It's all right. We have time before the child is born. I'll take you home when the snow melts."

Kaoru frowned up at him. "Home?"

"Back to your hometown."

"What? No! I won't leave you!"

"It's for the best. The doctors there have a better chance of seeing the pup born safely than my people would."

Kaoru shook her head stubbornly. "I won't go unless you stay with me."

"You know I can't. Remember the Enemies are hunting me?"

"Then I'm not going. I want to be with you when the baby comes."

"I have to take you, Kaoru."

"Please don't leave me."

Kenshin smiled, placing a hand over her belly. "I will never leave you. Never. I'll always be close by, and after the pup is born, I'll come and take you away."

Kaoru remained thoughtful for a long while. She didn't want to be separated from Kenshin even for a day, but the thought of going back to Iyo, where there were real doctors and clinics, to have her baby eased her troubled mind. There would be so much less to fear.

"I don't mean to be trouble."

"You're no trouble," Kenshin said, tracing patterns on her cheek with his thumb. "You give me nothing but happiness."

"I think I would like to have that son," she said dreamily. "But strong and healthy and breathing and wailing…"

He chuckled. "I would like that, but a daughter would be welcome too." He kissed her tenderly, and then pressed his lips to her forehead. "Sleep now. Dream only happy dreams."

She did then, and he could see the peace in her that had been absent these many nights past. But for Kenshin, there was to be no sleep that night. He spent the long hours until dawn studying the face of the woman he loved. He didn't blame her for being afraid. She was still young for her years. Still unaccustomed to living off the land, still trying to overcome a childhood that had been discouraging and throughly unsocialized.

He rose with the dawn and left the shelter. Outside, the world was covered with a fresh white blanket of white. Overhead, the sky was a clear, vibrant blue.

He stood quietly for a moment, then lifted his face, his soul seeking his sister's. He let the sun's glow bathe his face for a time, then he returned to his shelter, his heart filled with peace as always when he sought her love for guidance.

And for Kaoru, there were no more bad dreams.


	18. Inheritance

18  
Inheritance

Kaoru stared at the darkened house, her stomach in knots. She hadn't known how glad she would be to see civilization again, with real houses and where there was modern medical care nearby.

"They must be asleep," she murmured, staring down at her old home.

Kenshin grunted softly. The house was so dark, the land so quiet.

"Go," he said. "I'll wait here until I know you're safely inside."

"I'll miss you," Kaoru said. She swallowed the lump building in her throat.

"It'll only be a short time," Kenshin reminded her. "And I will never be far away." He reined his horse closer to hers and placed his hand over her swollen stomach, over their child. "Take care of yourself and our pup."

"I will."

He kissed her then, a soft, gentle kiss, afraid if he kissed her with any degree of passion, he might not be able to let her go after all.

Kaoru whispered her love and reined her horse toward the house.

Kenshin waited in the shadows, watching. He had been right to bring her here, he was certain. Their separation would only be for a short time.

Kaoru had reached the house now. Dismounting, she tried the door, but it was locked. She knocked twice. No answer.

Kenshin frowned. Putting his heels to his horse's flanks, he rode to the barn and opened the door. Inside it was dark and empty. No stock was inside.

He walked to the house and peered into the windows, but he could see nothing, could sense no one inside.

"I don't think anyone's home," Kaoru said.

"I think they've gone," Kenshin agreed. "The barn and corrals are empty, and there's nothing growing in the garden."

"But they had nowhere else to go," she insisted, frowning. "They would never leave."

Together they checked the back way and all the windows, but everything was locked up tight. Finally Kenshin forced his sword through the slide of the door, caught the latch, and the front door was free to open.

The place felt so empty, and a quick tour of the house proved this to the eyes as well. The closets were bare, some of the furniture was missing, and everything had a fine layer of dust covering it.

"Where did they go?" Kaoru wondered. She lit a lamp and looked around again, as though she might find a clue as to her aunt and uncle's whereabouts now that there was light.

"I'll put our horses in the barn," Kenshin said.

Kaoru nodded. "I'll look around in the kitchen and see if there's anything to eat."

The cupboards were empty, likewise the pantry. She was standing in the middle of the kitchen, her arms folded over her stomach, when Kenshin came back.

"I couldn't find anything to eat," she said.

"It doesn't matter."

"What are we going to do?"

Kenshin shrugged with a small half-smile. "What do you want to do?"

"I think we should go into town tomorrow. My family had some good friends in town, Nara and her husband Miki. They'll know where my aunt and uncle have gone and if they're coming back."

"I can't go into the town," Kenshin reminded.

"Then I'll go, and you can wait here."

Kenshin didn't like the idea of her going anywhere alone in her condition, but he couldn't deny that it was something that had to be done.

Kaoru looked around again. "They took a few odds and ends, but that's all." She frowned as she sat down. "They must be coming back eventually. They wouldn't go off and leave everything else behind. It doesn't make sense."

"You look tired."

"I am."

"Come," he said, reaching for her hand. "Let's go to bed now. Tomorrow we'll know more and then we can decide what to do."

The next morning, Kaoru searched through an old trunk and found a kimono she could alter to fit her, and with a little careful attention, would disguise her expanding girth. It took most of the morning to alter the kimono, and then she bathed and washed her hair. When she was dressed and ready to go, she went to Kenshin to ask how she looked.

"Beautiful, as always. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. It takes maybe half an hour to get to town. I should be home before dark. You'll be here when I get back?"

"I'll be here."

"Okay." She kissed him quickly, then went with him to where the horse was waiting outside, and he lifted her onto its back.

"Be careful."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

The ride to town was pleasant. It was good to pass familiar landmarks, to be back home again. Iyo was much the same as it had been when she last saw it.

Nearing the general store, which was owned by the two family friends she had come seeking, she noticed a new tea shop in the corner and smiled faintly, thinking that the taste of the old country was getting ever closer. This was something that she must never say to Kenshin.

Nara was sweeping the veranda when Kaoru rode up. She stared at the girl, her mouth dropping open with surprise.

"Kaoru-chan!" she exclaimed as Kaoru dismounted and looped the reins around the hitch rail. "You're here! We…we thought you had been killed or taken by savages!"

"No," Kaoru said, smiling at the older woman. "I'm fine."

"Well, I can see that," Nara said, still grinning. "You always were a pretty little thing. Where have you been all this time, Child?"

"In Seiyo," Kaoru said, a little airily. There wasn't much need to tell Nara about Kenshin or Ataru or anything else that had happened since she left Iyo.

Nara put her broom aside and took Kaoru's hand in hers. "Whatever possessed you to run away like that, Dear? Why, it just about broke your uncle's heart when you left."

_I'm sure it did_, Kaoru thought, but aloud she said, "I wanted to see more of the world."

"Well, Dear, he grieved for you something awful."

Again, Kaoru doubted the truth of that, but asked, "Where is my uncle? The house in empty."

Nara took a deep breath and released it in a long-drawn-out sigh. "He passed away back in the summer, not long after we got word that the stagecoach you had been riding in had been attacked by dragons."

"Uncle Shiji's dead?"

"I'm sorry, Child. I thought you knew."

"No. I just got home last night. Where is Aunt Urei, then?"

"She went back east immediately after the funeral. Said she couldn't stand to stay another moment in this Godforsaken place." Nara draped her arm around Kaoru's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Come inside, Kaoru-chan. I'll make you some tea."

"Thank you," Kaoru murmured. She followed Nara through the store and into the back room. Nara bade her sit down, her voice soft and sympathetic.

Kaoru couldn't believe they were both really gone. She accepted a cup of strong tea from Nara and sipped it slowly. "Did my aunt say when she'd becoming back?"

"Oh, she's never coming back," Nara said. "You know she always hated it here. Why, she could hardly wait for your uncle's funeral so she could leave."

Kaoru didn't know what to think. She had been less than thrilled about seeing her guardians again, but she had also been counting on a brief stay in their home.

She finished her tea without tasting it, then stood up. "I'd better go."

Nara stood up as well. "You go see old Sachio right away. He's been in a stew since your uncle died."

"Sachio?" Kaoru frowned. "Why would he want to see me?"

"To settle your uncle's affairs," Nara explained. "Isn't that why you're here?"

"No."

Nara patted Kaoru's back. "Well, you hurry along now. You can catch him in his office this time of day."

* * *

Kaoru stared at Sachio, the town's attorney, unable to comprehend all that he was saying. Uncle Shiji had left the house and property to her, along with a tidy nest egg.

"There's close to a hundred acres of land," Sachio informed her, checking through some papers. "Now, if you'll just sign here, and here," he said, pressing a brush into her hand, "I believe that about wraps it up."

Kaoru signed her name, her mind reeling. The house was hers, all hers! The land she loved belonged to her, to do with as she pleased. Almost a hundred acres. She could swim in the lake to her heart's content, plant whatever she wanted in the garden. The master bedroom in the house was hers now. Maybe she would paint the walls blue, buy a new houseful of furniture if she so desired!

She was smiling when she left the lawyer's office. She had a home of her own, at last. It was hers, all hers, and no one could take it from her!

She was walking on air as she skipped back to the general store. Humming softly, she purchased several sorts of foodstuffs, needles and thread, soap, towels, new blankets, a few pots and pans, and anything else that she thought they might need, including a variety of seeds.

Leaving the store, she went to the livery barn and hired a rig to carry her supplies home.

Her heart was singing when she reached the outskirts of the ranch. _My land_, she thought exultantly. _My land._

She frowned when she pulled up at the house. The garden she had sweated and slaved over was dry and dead, overrun with weeds and thistles. Untying her horse from the back of the hired hack, she turned it loose in the corral.

She felt Kenshin's presence behind her even before he spoke. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything wonderful!" Kaoru exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

"You're looking at a woman of property."

Kenshin frowned. "I don't understand."

The smile left Kaoru's face. "My uncle died last summer. He left me the house and the land and a goodly sum of money. I guess he knew Aunt Urei wouldn't want it, and he couldn't bear to see it sold to a stranger."

Kenshin nodded, his expression impassive.

"Don't you understand what that means?" Kaoru asked, disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm. "This place is ours. We have a home, a place for our son to grow up. We won't have to wander around like homeless beggars anymore."

"Is that what I am?" Kenshin mused. "A homeless beggar?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Kaoru said quickly.

"And yet," Kenshin said slowly, "it is what I've become. I don't really have a home, no matter what my sister tried to provide for me. The New People have taken it in spirit."

"This is your home," Kaoru said, frightened by the look in his eye and the defeated tone of his voice.

Kenshin glanced around, then shook his head. "The higher lands should be my home."

Kaoru swallowed hard. Not this again. Not one of these moments when Kenshin could be a stranger, separated from her by customs and beliefs she could never fully understand.

She had learned that drake people couldn't comprehend the idea of owning the earth. But surely, when he thought about it, he would realize how lucky they were. They had a place to live, a place no one could take away from them. It belonged to her; she had a deed locked up safely in Sachio's office that said so.

Unconsciously, she placed her hand on her stomach. Kenshin's son rested there, beneath her hand. One day, this place would be his.

Her heart was a little heavier as she picked up one of the brown-wrapped parcels and carried it into the house.

After a moment, Kenshin gathered the rest of the supplies and carried them into the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, watching as she unwrapped her purchases and put them away.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"We need wood."

Kenshin smiled bitterly. "I'll go cut some."

He found an axe in the barn and spent next hour chopping wood, remembering all too clearly the many hours he spent felling timber to clear a path for the New People's road.

Stacking the wood beside the house, he thought of Kaoru. This as her land now, and he knew she wouldn't want to leave it after their child was born. Again, he wondered how they could really dare to say they owned the land, rather than it being the other way around?

He walked toward the back of the house. Peering in the window, he saw Kaoru bustling about. He could hear her singing softly as she worked, saw the pride in her eyes when she looked around. They had been there only one day, but the place already reflected her personality. There was a jar of spring flowers resting by the window, a blue ceramic cat resting on a shelf.

Turning, he left the house and began to run, his strides fast and easy, quickly carrying him past the lake and up to the top of the ridge. Coming to a halt, he stared down at the road. It was finished now, and even as he watched, a shiny black carriage passed by, driven by a middle-aged man in fine city attire.

Kenshin sighed as he raised his eyes to the distant mountains. Once, all this land was freely roamed by his own people. And now it belonged to the New People. To Kaoru.

* * *

The next few days passed quickly. There was much to do. Kaoru swept the floors, washed the windows and measured them for new curtains, scrubbed out the cast iron stove, eliminated the lacy cobwebs from the corners. She washed the kitchen walls, waxed the floors, and went through the trunks and closets, discarding whatever she deemed useless.

She sewed the new curtains, went into town and bought a rooster and six hens so they would have fresh eggs and poultry. She also bought a pig, a cow, and a goat.

And then she began to work in the garden. Kenshin saw her working hard, uprooting weeds and preparing the ground, and, deeming the work too strenuous for a woman in her condition, he took the spade from her hand. Kaoru insisted she was fine, but in truth she was grateful he refused to let her continue to work in the garden. She tired easily these days, and her back seemed to hurt all the time. She was still adamant on planting the seeds, though, and Kenshin deferred to her experience. He didn't know anything of gardening or growing things.

In the evening, while he worked on repairing a worn bridle or oiled his sword, she sewed things for the baby, very certain that it would be a boy, and she made several roomy kimonos for herself.

In spite of the long hours and hard work, Kaoru couldn't sleep well at night. Her aunt and uncle had enjoyed a very large bed of thick mattresses raised up from the floor on wooden legs, a bedding design from yet another country, but Kenshin found this entirely too alien and wanted to keep sleeping on the floor instead. At first, Kaoru slept beside him, her head pillowed on his shoulder, but as her pregnancy progressed, the floor grew harder and harder and finally, at Kenshin's insistence, she returned to the bed. After the hard wooden floor, the mattress felt like the softest of clouds. But she didn't like sleeping alone, nor did she like the slight strain between them.

She worried. She made several remarks about the future, about what they would plant the following year, about adding a room for the baby, but Kenshin merely listened and nodded, never adding his own ideas or opinions.

Kenshin was Wild. Would be unhappy here? If he was, would he be able to stay? Would she be able to keep him here? Would he want to go back to where the fighting was? Would she take up her son and follow him back into it?

What was right? _What_?

It was on one such night, when sleep wouldn't come and her heart ached with this until the burdens overflowed and she began to cry quietly, tears muffled by her pillow.

"Kaoru?" She had thought Kenshin sound asleep, sitting up beside her bed, but he was instantly by her side. "What is it? Are you in pain?"

"Yes."

"Is it the pup?" he asked, worried now because the child wasn't yet due.

"No."

"What, then?"

Kaoru reached for his hand and placed it over her heart. "I hurt here," she said softly. "I guess I'm just afraid the fighting will draw you back into the higher lands after the baby is born."

He sat on the edge of her bed, his hand still resting over her heart. "I've thought of that myself." Then he drew her into his arms, nose nestling in her hair. "But if I have to go back to fight, I will always come back to you," he vowed. "No matter how far from you I might go, I will always come back."

"I need you, Kenshin," she told him firmly. "And so does your son."

"And I need both of you," he said, his breath warm in her hair. "Like the air I breathe." His eyes drifted to the window and the darkness beyond. "If I stay here, I'll always have to be on guard. Even now, I dare not stray too far from this place, in case someone recognizes me."

"Maybe you're worrying needlessly," she suggested. "No one in town knows you killed Kamishi. No one ever saw you up close when you were on the road gang, and your name was never mentioned."

"Maybe you're right."

"Would you rather live underground again?" It was the only wholly safe place for dragons and Wild People anymore, even if that was a base for counter-attacks to keep New People out of the higher lands.

"No. I want to live as my people have always lived."

But that was rapidly becoming impossible, and no one knew it better than he as the hill villages dwindled. There were rumors of Wild People finally giving up on their simple ways of life and assimilating into the culture of the New People, preferring it to extinction. Maybe that's what Kaoru was asking Kenshin to do as well. What was to become of him?

"Kenshin…"

Gently, he placed his hand over her mouth. "Let's not worry about it now, but just live each day until the pup is born."

He kissed her, filling her with sweet yearning, and the problems of tomorrow no longer seemed important. Indeed, nothing mattered but the taste of his lips and the touch of his hands, and the soft huskiness of his voice as he whispered his love…


	19. Ataru's Wire

18  
Ataru's Wire

A slow smile spread over Ataru's face as he read the wire in his hand a second time. And then a third, just to make certain there was no mistake.

It was regarding his query of last fall, and the update was to say that Kaoru had ridden into Iyo and had taken possession of her deceased uncle's farm.

Ataru let out a long sigh of relief. So, she was alive and well. Thank God. He wondered by what miracle she had managed to escape from the dragons, and the Wild People who had come behind them after the other two passengers, and how she had been fortunate enough to find her way home. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered except that she was safe.

He had been too stubborn to believe that she might be dead, but after so many months had passed without a word, he had almost given up hope.

He folded the wire and placed it in his pocket next to his heart. She was alive.

Soon, he promised himself, as soon as he could arrange it, he would go to Iyo and be with her again. He would declare his love and ask her to marry him. Hopefully, she would accept. If not, he would woo her with flowers and candy and sweet words and anything else it took to win her heart.

He began to pace the floor as his excitement grew. His second-in-command would be back from duty at the garrison by the end of the month, and since everything was quiet here, Ataru would take off on one of the routine runs with a brief layover in Iyo.

He left the office to make his afternoon rounds, imagining how surprised Kaoru would be when he showed up on her doorstep with a bouquet of flowers and a proposal.


	20. Shuttered Hearts

19  
Shuttered Hearts

The days passed peacefully. There were enough chores to keep Kaoru and Kenshin busy from dawn to dark, and then they retired to the house for dinner, a bath, and a few quiet hours before the fire.

It was on one such cool summer evening that a priest from the town, Kazuo, came to call.

Kaoru felt the color rise in her cheeks as she opened the door and saw the holy man standing on the porch.

"Kazuo-sama," she greeted, conscious of her swollen belly. "I…how nice to see you again."

"Good evening, Kaoru-san," Kazuo replied formally. He was young for a priest, and his kindly brown eyes darted to her stomach and quickly slipped away.

The news that Kaoru had returned, pregnant and alone, had been spreading when she could no longer hide the fact that she was carrying a child with carefully-arranged clothing. He said, "I heard you were back, and I wanted to come by and bid you welcome home, and offer you my condolences on the loss of your uncle."

"Thank you," Kaoru murmured.

"I would have come by sooner, but I've been away," he added.

"Oh?"

"My father passed away and I went home to comfort my mother and attend the funeral."

"I'm sorry."

Kazuo nodded. "Would you mind if I came in for a few moments?"

Kaoru hesitated. Kenshin was inside, and there was no way for him to leave without being seen. Not that she was ashamed of him--far from it--but he was wanted by the law for killing Kamishi, and the fewer people who knew of his presence here, the better.

"Is something wrong?" Kazuo asked.

"No, I…please come in."

Kazuo stepped inside, his eyes growing wide as he saw Kenshin standing near the fireplace. His mouth dropped open was he stared at the Wild Boy dressed in the shirt Kaoru had made for him and deer hide leggings. His long red hair was tied back in its usual loose ponytail, and not seen the comb this day, and was as wild over his face as ever. There was no mistaking him for anything other than what he was.

There was an awkward silence as the two men sized each other up. Kazuo could not hide his shock in seeing a dragoner in Kaoru's house, but if seeing Kenshin left him slightly dazed, Kaoru's next words left him speechless.

"Kazuo-sama, this is my husband, Kenshin. Kenshin, this is our town's priest, Kazuo."

Kenshin met the holy man's gaze, his hands clenched a little at his sides. What had possessed Kaoru to invite the man into the house? It could cause nothing but trouble.

"Won't you sit down?" she asked the priest.

"What? Oh, yes, thank you." He sank down and looked at Kaoru. "Where…when…" He cleared his throat.

"How long have you been married?"

"Over a year."

The young priest nodded absently. "Please don't misunderstand my question, but where did you find a priest who would marry the two of you?"

"We didn't." Kaoru lifted her chin defiantly. "Kenshin and I exchanged our own vows."

"I see."

"You don't approve?"

"Such a marriage is not legally binding. Nor will it be recognized. Surely you know that your child will be considered a bas--" He bit off the word and shot a wary look in Kenshin's direction.

"A bastard." Kenshin spoke the word through tight lips.

"Yes."

"I think you should go now," Kenshin said. His face was dark with anger and his eyes were glowing with rage. He didn't like this man coming here to insult his woman.

"Please," Kazuo said, extending his hand in a gesture of conciliation. "Hear me out. I didn't not mean to offend you. But you must realize that your…alliance will never be accepted." He looked steadfastly at Kaoru. "The townspeople will be shocked when they've learned you've given yourself to a Wild Person. The women will shun you, and the men…" He glanced briefly at Kenshin, wondering if he dared to go on.

"I don't care," Kaoru snapped. "I love Kenshin. I'm proud to be carrying his child. Let people talk."

Kazuo's gaze drifted to the fire. He had always been fond of Kaoru. He had known her since she had been brought into Iyo from the orphanage, and in all that time he had never known her to be happy. Her aunt and uncle had treated her shamefully, never allowing her to mingle with people her own age, keeping her so busy on the ranch that she never had time for fun, never had the opportunity to meet any of the fine young men who lived nearby. And now she was in love with a Wild Boy. For the first time since he had known her, she looked happy. He had not missed the way her eyes glowed when she looked at Kenshin, had not missed the pride in her voice when she introduced him as her husband.

Kazuo cleared his throat, then stood up. What he was about to suggest could cost him, but in his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do, for Kaoru, for the child, and perhaps for the Wild Boy as well.

"Kaoru-san, have you ever considered being married in a legal ceremony?"

"Of course I have," Kaoru answered quietly.

"Yes, well, I would be willing to perform the ceremony."

Kaoru was suddenly speechless. She whirled to face Kenshin, her face aglow. She had never mentioned that she had ever wanted a proper ceremony to him, had never admitted to herself that it was important. But it was, and now there was a way to do it. She would be Kenshin's wife in the laws of all their people; her child would never have to bear the stigma of being thought a bastard.

Her smile faded when she saw the expression on Kenshin's face.

Kazuo saw it too. "Perhaps the two of you would like a few minutes alone to discuss it. If it's all right, I'll just step into the kitchen."

Kaoru nodded. "Thank you."

When they were alone, Kaoru took Kenshin's hand in hers. "Would you mind terribly if we were married by the priest?"

"You're already my wife," Kenshin said. "I don't need this ceremony, or his approval."

She ran her tongue across her lips, wondering the full truth of her next sentence. "I need it."

"It's important to you, to be married in the New People's way?" She bit her lip, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. She asked so little of him. He couldn't deny her this if it was important to her. Besides, though he didn't like to think on it, his child would still have deep roots with her people. Bastards weren't looked on favorably among his own people either. She was already his wife. Being married to her a second time would really do no harm.

"Very well, Beloved. We'll let the priest perform his ceremony. Tonight, if that's your wish."

She so joyfully kissed him, he knew he couldn't regret the decision.

There were usually more "proper" places to hold weddings, such as the shrine, but their home would have to do. They only needed the willing priest and the words that would bind them by the New People's law. The moment passed swiftly, a wisp of magic, and then it was over, broken by a long kiss, and then Kazuo clearing his throat, embarrassed to be intruding on such an intimate moment.

"I'll take care of the paperwork when I get back to town," he told Kaoru when she tore her eyes from Kenshin's face. "And I'll bring your marriage license with me next time I come."

"Thank you, Kazuo-sama," Kaoru said fervently. "You've been very kind. But then, you've always treated me with kindness and respect. I want you to know how much I appreciated it then and now."

Kazuo took Kaoru's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Be happy, Child."

"I will be, thank you. Oh!" she exclaimed. "I haven't paid you."

The priest chuckled. "There's no need."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. Good night."

Kaoru stood at the door until the priest was gone and then she went to stand beside her husband. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No. How long have you known the priest?"

"As long as I can remember. Why?"

"Is he in love with you?"

"In love with me? Why would you think such thing?"

"Because of the way he looks at you."

"You're imagining things."

"Perhaps." Kenshin put his arms around her. "Or perhaps not. I guess it's hardly your fault if everyone loves you, my Kaoru. But you're mine." His hands slid down her arms and then up again.

She lifted her face, closing her eyes as his mouth slanted over hers, his lips warm and achingly familiar.

Kenshin slipped one arm around her waist and the other under her knees and then was carrying her swiftly into the bedroom, placing her on the bed, stretching out beside her.

He kissed her face and throat, her arms and hands, her hair and nose and eyes, and all the while he was kissing her his hands were deftly unfastening her obi, brushing the cloth covering her aside, muttering under his breath that New Women wore clothes that were too complicated.

She felt his hand on her belly, opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, his eyes warm with love, awed by the mystery of what their love had created, growing inside her. Their child gave a lusty kick, and Kenshin chuckled.

"The pup is restless," he remarked. "Does he ever hurt you?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No. Every kick tells me that he's strong and healthy, like his father."

"I'm weak when I'm in your arms," Kenshin said with a grin. "Yours to do with as you please."

Kaoru smiled, warmed by his words. "It would please very much if you would kiss me."

"All night long, if that's what you want."

"All night long, then," Kaoru said, opening her arms for him. "All night long…"

* * *

News of Kaoru's Wild Boy husband spread quickly through the town. The majority of the people were shocked and disgusted at the mere idea of a decent, well-bred girl like Kaoru living with a savage from the higher lands. The idea of ever marrying a Wild Person was unheard of in Iyo.

Kaoru knew there would be people who would shun her, who would never accept Kenshin, but she had been certain Kazuo had been exaggerating about how bad things would be until she went into town for supplies. Women crossed the street to avoid her, men leered at her, their eyes filled with lusty speculation, and if Kenshin had seen, she would have been hard-pressed to keep his sword safely in its sheath.

She was on the verge of tears from these indignations when she entered the general store. She clenched her fists at her sides as Nara came toward her, ready to burst if the woman so much as looked at her the wrong way.

But Nara was a good, decent woman who held the unpopular opinion all men and women were equal in the sight of their Maker. She gave Kaoru a brilliant smile of welcome as she took her list, chatted about inconsequential things as she filled her order.

Kaoru tried to hide her tears when she returned home, but of course she couldn't hide much from Kenshin. He remained silent until she had put their supplies away and then he took her in his arms. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Her voice was thick with unshed tears and she refused to meet his eyes.

"Is it so bad that you can't tell me?"

"Oh, Kenshin--what business is it of theirs who my husband is!"

Kenshin held her throughout her outburst and then the little drizzle of angry tears that followed it, his face dark with his own anger mingled with regret that her love for him would cause her even a moment's pain. He had known her people wouldn't receive him. The hate, the differences, the inability to understand, it just ran too deep. But he couldn't understand how anyone could treat Kaoru unkindly. She was the soul of goodness, the epitome of what a woman should be.

He held on until the tears subsided, and then he drew away, his eyes thoughtful. "Are you certain you want to stay here, Beloved? Wouldn't it be better to go back to the hills, or even back to our canyon, maybe, where there is no one to belittle our love?"

Kaoru stubbornly shook her head. "This is my home. Our home. I'm not leaving. I won't let a bunch of narrow-minded ninnies drive me away."

He didn't argue, knowing anything he said would only make her more determined to stay.

"Anyway, not everyone is against us. Nara and her husband are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. They want to meet you."

* * *

Nara felt a twinge of nervousness as she alighted from the carriage and walked up to the porch. She had never seen a Wild Boy before and she wasn't sure he wanted to see one now. But Kaoru needed to know that not everyone in town thought badly of her. After all, the girl had done nothing wrong except fall in love, and if she wanted to marry a dragoner, why, that was her business and no one else's. Personally, Nara couldn't understand how anyone could love one of those savage Wild People. They were all barbarians, ruthless killers, and the world was more peaceful and safe when they kept to themselves in the higher lands.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Miki asked his wife as they stood at the front door.

"I don't know, but it's too late to turn back now. Smile, Miki." Nara beamed as Kaoru opened the door and invited them in. The two women embraced, and then she was introducing them to Kenshin.

Nara couldn't help staring at Kaoru's husband. She had been expecting something bigger and more…rugged. But no, the young man before her was small and slender and beautiful in an smooth, elven sort of way. He had the most beautiful long hair of a shade of red she had never before seen and large, alert violet eyes.

He wasn't good at small talk, but sat quietly as Nara, Miki, and Kaoru reminisced about Shiji and then chatted about the changes taking place in town. He said little during the meal that Kaoru served, but Nara was quick to see his eyes stayed often to Kaoru. He might be considered a savage by others of her kind, but Nara was touched by the depths of love that shone in Kenshin's eyes when he looked at his wife, and decided that, Wild Boy or not, he was a good man.

Later, she was impressed by his manners, with the respect he showed Kaoru, the politeness of his answers when Miki questioned him about the drake people's way of life. Though they were New People, he treated them as welcome guests in his wife's home and when they left, Nara could understand why Kaoru loved him.

* * *

Kenshin slid out of bed, pulled on his leggings, and left the house. Outside, it was cool and dark. A bright yellow moon hung low in the sky. A stalking moon, Kenshin thought, and remembered the many nights like this when his sister would take him hunting, just the two of them in the dark after nocturnal game, where she taught him how different the world was in the dark.

Standing in the moon-dappled shadows, he looked at the house where Kaoru lay sleeping, then let his eyes wander to the barn and the corrals, to the garden that was blooming under her expert care, to the surrounding darkness, and the silhouette of the distant mountains. What was he doing here, he mused, living in a house, taking his meals at a table, sleeping on soft mattress held up off the floor, beneath eiderdown quilts? He had abandoned the floor because it was too hard for Kaoru now and he couldn't bear sleeping apart from her any longer. Why had he…well, abandoned the ways of his people?

His eyes returned to the dark house. Why? he mused. Why, indeed. Because of a blue-eyed woman who had stolen his heart and captured his soul, who ruled his life with silken chains that he could not have broken even if he desired to. She had become a part of him, a vital, irreplaceable part. He would perish without her, first his soul, then his body. He had no desire to live if he couldn't share his life with her. He knew that, deep in her heart, Kaoru lived with the fear that he would leave, go back to the fighting, when their child was born. The pull toward his homeland was strong, but he knew that he would never willingly be parted from her.

He took a deep breath and let it out, puffing out his cheeks with the force of it. Was there not a way he could protect his people and keep this great happiness? Was he asking for too much?

What was right? _What_?


	21. Ataru's Bad Luck

21  
Ataru's Bad Luck

The two men took Ataru completely by surprise. One minute he was riding along, his thoughts on Kaoru, and the next he was lying in the dirt with a bullet in his back.

Eyes closed, he fought off the blackness that hovered around him as he listened to the two bushwhackers close in on him. From their conversation, he could tell they were both drunk, and very pleased with their kill.

Only their quarry wasn't dead. Not yet.

He waited until he heard the creak of saddle leather, indicating they were dismounting to rifle his clothes, and then he rolled over, palmed his gun, and shot them both where they stood.

The exertion sent him tumbling into a deep, black void.

It was nearly night when he regained consciousness. His wound had stopped bleeding and he stood up slowly, his hand pressed to his back. Damn, but it hurt like sin.

Moving like an old man, he walked toward the two dead men and flipped them other. He recognized them both from the wanteds, two of the most sought-after men on this side of the territory, for a variety of crimes, mostly robbery and murder.

He swore under his breath as he grabbed hold of his horse's reins and tried to pull himself onto its back. Lying across the animal's neck, he urged the horse forward in the direction of Iyo, hoping he would make it to the town before he passed out again.

For the first time, it occurred to him that he might die. He wondered if Kaoru would care…


	22. Further Complications

21  
Further Complications

Kenshin urged his mount down the hill, his eyes sweeping black and forth as he followed the well-worn game trail that led to a narrow stream flanked by tall willows and slender cottonwoods. He often rode into the hills that were a part of Kaoru's land, needing to be out in the open, to ride beneath the bold sky, breathe the scent of earth and trees, and to be away from the big house that seemed a different world altogether.

His cabin in Himura had been small, but that was because his people tended to spend more time outside than in. A cabin was just for shelter, for sleeping, not entirely for living. If not for Kaoru, he would have left a long, long time ago.

It was near dusk when he drew rein downwind of three does and two fawns who stood drinking at the water's edge. He had been eating chicken and pork and beef for some time, and this night he had a taste for venison.

He had just set his eyes on the doe with no fawn by her side when a big bay horse trotted up to the stream, spooking the deer, which quickly bounded out of sight.

Kenshin frowned as he urged his horse down the slope and across the stream. The bay horse whinnied softly as he rode up.

Dismounting, he took up the bay's reins and tethered both horses to a tree, noting as he did so that there was blood on its saddle. He backtracked the horse, hand on his sword hilt, eyes wary.

He found the man lying face down in the dirt some three hundred yards away. A dark brown bloodstain covered much of the man's shirt. His breathing was shallow and erratic.

When he was certain the man was unarmed, Kenshin rolled him over, swore softly as he recognized the one who had arrested him and taken him to Seiyo.

He stared at the unconscious Enemy for a long time, forefinger tapping at the hilt of his katana. He considered killing him for a long while, and then he hoisted the man onto his shoulders and carried him to the stream where the horses waited, his eyebrows twitching a little in irritation. This was only going to further complicate his life, but he couldn't kill a man who couldn't defend himself.

Draping the lawman face down over the back of he bay, he lashed the man's hands and feet together, jumped onto his own mount, and started for home. Yes, only trouble could come of this.

Kaoru was standing near the stove, cheerfully botching the evening meal, when Kenshin rode up. As always, familiar warmth filled her at seeing him, but her smile wavered when she saw the body lying across the saddle of the bay horse. She quickly wiped her hands and hurried outside.

"What happened? Is he dead? Did you…?"

"Hush now, Kaoru," Kenshin said quietly, though a trifle sternly. "He's not dead, yet. He was unconscious when I found him."

Kaoru drew in a deep breath when Kenshin dragged the man from the saddle and she saw his face for the first time.

"Ataru!"

"You remember him, then?"

Kaoru nodded. Remember, indeed, she thought guiltily, remembering that last night with him in Seiyo.

She helped Kenshin get him into the bedroom, threw back the covers on the bed. Ataru's face was almost as white as the pillow case.

"The bullet's still in his back," Kenshin said, and Kaoru nodded.

The next few moments were busy ones. Kaoru collected scissors, disinfectant, bandages, a bowl of water, and a clean cloth while Kenshin removed Ataru's blood-stained clothes and covered him with a sheet, then sterilized the blade of a knife.

Kenshin's hand was amazingly steady as he adroitly probed for the bullet lodged low in Ataru's back. Kaoru swallowed the bitter bile that rose in her throat as the blade sank deeper into his flesh. Moments later, Kenshin removed a small leaden chunk of metal from Ataru's back. Kaoru clamped her lips together as she washed away the blood, poured disinfectant over the wound, and then bandaged it securely.

"Will he live?"

"I think so," Kenshin said. He didn't sound entirely happy with this fact.

"I need to change the sheets."

Kenshin lifted Ataru while Kaoru removed the blood bedclothes and replaced them with clean ones. He told himself not to be jealous as she drew a blanket over him, smoothed the hair from his face, sponged the sweat from his brow. But all the while he was remembering how it had been in Seiyo, staring through the bars, watching Kaoru cross the street with Ataru, seeing the way the lawman held her arm and smiled down at her, and the way she had smiled back.

He shoved the memories away. Kaoru loved him; he had no reason to doubt it.

She spent the night at the lawman's side, patiently replacing the blankets he threw aside when the fever came. She wiped his face and chest with a cool cloth, offered him water, spoke to him even though he couldn't hear her.

Kenshin stood in the doorway and watched his woman care for another man. She was a soft-hearted girl, caring and sweet, and he knew she would have nursed absolutely anyone with the same tender concern. Still, the fact that she knew Ataru before was really started to gnaw at Kenshin's vitals. He had seen the way the Enemy law-upholder had looked at her, touched her.

As dawn began to lighten the sky, Kenshin insisted that Kaoru get some sleep, if not for her own sake, then for the child's.

"I'm fine," she argued. "Someone has to stay with Ataru-san."

"I'll stay with him," Kenshin said, just a touch irritably. He went to his wife, scooped her into his arms, he carried her to her old bedroom and deposited her firmly in her old bed. "Sleep now," he ordered.

She nodded. There was no arguing with him when he believe himself to be right. Besides, he _was _right. She was tired. And her back ached, her feet ached, and he eyes felt gritty with the need for sleep. She turned on her side, her cheek resting in her palm. She was asleep before Kenshin left the room.

* * *

Ataru regained consciousness a layer at a time, aware of a great pain in his back. He heard footsteps, wrinkled his nose appreciatively as he smelled fresh tea. Feigning sleep, he tried to remember where he was, but his mind drew a blank. He remembered killing the two men that had ambushed him, remembered getting onto his horse, then nothing more.

He was aware that he was lying face down on a bed, beneath a starched sheet. He opened his eyes a fraction of an inch, swore under his breath when he saw a Wild Boy standing in front of the window, somewhat blurred out by the bright sunlight.

Kenshin grunted softly. "So you decided to live."

"So it seems." Ataru opened his eyes fully and glanced around. "Where the hell am I?"

"In the house of my wife."

"How'd I get here?"

"I found you not far from here."

"I'm…obliged."

"I don't want your thanks."

"What do you want?" Ataru asked guardedly.

"I want you to get well and then go."

"I'll do my best."

Kenshin nodded and then Kaoru breezed into the room, her face beaming when she saw Ataru had gained consciousness.

The lawman blinked at her several times, and then he stared at Kenshin.

The Wild Boy smiled. "My wife," he said softly.

Ataru felt as though a lead weight had been dropped into the pit of his stomach as he finally recognized this particular Wild Boy. "But she told me you were dead. Killed at the battle of the Shining Mountains with Saburo."

"Only wounded."

A taut silence stretched between the two men as they glared at each other.

Kaoru fidgeted a moment, then said brightly, "Well Ataru-san, you're looking much better this afternoon. Would you care for something to eat? Some broth and tea perhaps?"

"That'd be nice," Ataru replied, his eyes still on Kenshin.

"Kenshin, will you help me in the kitchen, please?" Kaoru said, knowing it wouldn't be wise to leave the two of them in the room together alone.

He nodded and followed her out of the room.

Later, when Kenshin had gone out to tend the stock, Kaoru and Ataru had a few minutes alone. Kaoru felt her cheeks grow pink under his probing gaze.

"Is it his?" Ataru asked, gesturing at Kaoru's protruding stomach.

"Yes." She smoothed a wrinkle from her kimono. "How did you happen to be in Iyo?"

"I was on my way to see you when two men jumped me." Ataru laughed softly. "I finished them off before they got to me."

"You might have been killed."

"Yeah. I guess I owe you my life."

"No," Kaoru corrected. "You owe Kenshin your life. He found you and brought you here. He dug the bullet out of your back."

"Damn," Ataru muttered. "You know I've got to arrest him, Kaoru. It's my job."

"Arrest him!" Kaoru burst out. "After he saved your life? How can you be so ungrateful?"

"I'm not ungrateful. I'm a lawman, and he's wanted by the law."

"I don't want to discuss it," Kaoru snapped tersely. "Tell me, why were you coming to see me?"

"You must know. I love you, Kaoru. I came to ask you to marry me."

"I'm married to Kenshin."

Ataru made a gesture of dismissal with his hand. "A dragoner ceremony isn't a marriage. I'll make you a good husband if you'll give me the chance."

"I have a good husband, Ataru."

"I told you, a dragoner ceremony isn't--"

"We were married by a priest," Kaoru interjected. "It's quite legal."

"Kaoru--"

"Please, Ataru, don't say any more. I love Kenshin. I'm carrying his child. That's the end of it."

* * *

Kaoru was quiet at dinner that night. Kenshin eyed her surreptitiously, wondering what had upset her. She ate little, which was unusual now that she was pregnant. Lately he had taken to teasing her about the danger of getting chubby.

"What is it?" he asked as they lingered over their tea. "Tell me."

"Nothing."

"We have no lies between us, Kaoru. Don't let this be the first."

"It's Ataru. He wants to arrest you."

"He can try," Kenshin said lightly.

"This isn't funny," Kaoru said sharply. "He's a lawman. He knows you're wanted for killing Kamishi and for escaping from jail…" Kaoru voice trailed off. She had helped Kenshin escape. Didn't that make her an accessory or something to that effect? Would Ataru arrest her as well?

Later, when Kaoru had gone to bed in her old room, Kenshin went to see Ataru. The two men regarded each other for a long moment, and then the lawman couldn't ignore the shiver of fear that wound through him. He was helpless, unarmed, and the Enemy. Had Kaoru told the Wild Boy what they had talked about earlier? Had the dragoner come to do away with him and settle the rivalry between them once and for all?

"How are you feeling?" Kenshin asked.

"Fine," Ataru answered warily. "Kaoru-san tells me I owe you my life."

Kenshin shrugged. "She tells me you intend to arrest me."

Ataru nodded. "It's my job."

"And if I don't want to be arrested?"

Ataru said nothing, only gazed, unflinching, at the Wild Boy, knowing that to show weakness now would be a grave mistake.

"This is not about right or wrong," Kenshin said. "This is about Kaoru. You want her, and I want her. But she is my wife, she carries my pup, and I will not let her go."

Ataru had fought drake people in the past. He knew of their love for the wild life, the free life. He looked at Kenshin, and he wondered how long this particular Wild Boy would be content to dwell in a house and walk on deliberate streets and eat food bought from a store.

This was the question he put to Kenshin, and hearing his Enemy voice these questions and doubts that had rolled about in his mind sparked the Wild Boy's anger. What had made it worse was the knowledge that Ataru was the kind of man that Kaoru should have fallen in love with in the first place, the kind of man who could give her the life she desired.

"She's mine, and I'll kill you before I let her go."

Ataru nodded slowly. "I fear this will not be over between us before until one of us is dead."

"We will not speak of killing now," Kenshin said. "My pup is to be born this very summer. We will do nothing until then."

"Agreed."

"You'll leave here as soon as you're able."

"How do I know you won't take off?"

The glare thrown his way made Ataru swallow involuntarily. "I would not abandon my wife and I won't leave this place or this world until I have seen my pup."

"I guess not."

"But I tell you this now, Ataru-san: I will not be going back to your jail. And if you try to take me, I won't spare you life a second time."


	23. Kenji

23  
Kenji

As the baby's time to be due drew close, Kaoru was infused with a sense of urgency. She cleaned the house like a demon, spent hours turning her old room into a nursery. Kenshin surprised her by making a cradle.

Ataru had moved into town and was stayed at a boardinghouse there. Kenshin had not told her what was said between then, and Kaoru didn't ask, fairly certain whatever things two men of great enmity said to each other was probably something she'd rather not know.

Kenshin treated her like she was something made of fragile porcelain and might shatter at any moment. He did all the chores now, good-naturedly ignoring Kaoru when she teased him about doing woman's work.

The late evening hours were the best, when they would sit side by side, usually with her snuggled in Kenshin's arms, and they would speculate where the child was a boy or a girl (though Kaoru was still adamant the child would be a boy), discuss names, and their hopes and dreams for this child and others.

Only when he was alone did Kenshin ponder what happen after the baby was born. If Ataru would really return to try to arrest him. Kaoru was fond of the lawman, he knew, though she had never said so. How would she feel about her Wild Boy if Kenshin was forced to kill him? And even if he really had to, then what? He really, truly couldn't stay here then. He was already wanted for killing Kamishi, though no one in Iyo seemed to be aware of it. Another death would not be as easy to overlook.

So many questions. So many things to consider, and no easy answers.

He was standing in the yard late one night, gazing into the distance and wondering what the future would hold when Kaoru came up beside him and slipped her arm around his waist.

"Pretty night," she remarked after a while.

"Yes."

"I woke up and you were gone."

"I couldn't sleep."

"It scared me when I woke up and you weren't there."

Kenshin slipped an arm around her protectively. "I wouldn't leave you," he said. "Never with my will."

"But?"

Well, she knew the "buts" and Kenshin didn't repeat them, only shaking his head. Kaoru rested her head on his shoulder. There had to be a way to convince Ataru to change his mind, but how? What could be said that would persuade him to go back to Seiyo alone?

She felt Kenshin hand moving through her hair and she lifted her face for his kiss, her eyelids fluttering down as his mouth closed on hers. He didn't break it even when he gathered her up and carried her back into the house. In their room, he placed her on the bed and climbed up beside her.

"How can you bear to look at me?" she wanted to know. "I'm as fat as a heifer."

"You're not fat. You're pregnant with our pup. Never have you looked more beautiful than you do now."

"Flatterer," she accused. "And just what do you hope to gain by your sweet words?"

His answer was a theatrical sigh of wistfulness, and she laughed for a while, then sobered suddenly, looking up seriously into his face.

"Promise you won't leave us," she said.

His face just as serious, Kenshin said, "I can't make a promise I'm so uncertain I can keep, Beloved. But I can promise you I will stay with you for as long as I can."

* * *

As Kaoru's time drew near, Miki and Nara began dropping by almost nightly. Nara clucked and cooed over Kaoru, insisting the girl rest while she prepared their meals and washed and dried the dishes.

Kenshin was only slightly put-off by their intrusion since she had a cheerful disposition and it was obvious that Kaoru enjoyed the elder woman's company. Miki was steady and reliable. He didn't say much, and Kenshin thought that was a blessing, since his wife was rarely quiet. The two men often went outside, leaving the women to chatter about babies and recipes and the outrageous price of yard goods.

Miki introduced Kenshin to the game of Go and the two of them spent many an evening hunched over the game board, hardly saying a word as they tried to out-maneuver each other.

It was on one such night when they were playing this game that Kaoru's water broke.

Nara helped Kaoru change out of her kimono into a clean yukata, got her settled into bed, and then went outside to inform Kenshin that he was about to become a father. Miki was instructed to go into town for the doctor, and Kenshin was directed into the bedroom to sit with his wife while Nara rounded up the items the doctor would need when he arrived.

Kaoru smiled at Kenshin as he came to her. "You don't look so good," she remarked.

"I've never been this close to being a father before," he said with a wry grin. "Are you in pain?"

"No," she answered, and then gasped as a contraction caught her unawares.

Kenshin watched helplessly as she endured it briefly, knowing they would only get worse before the child was born--knowing there was nothing he could do to help. Indeed, he felt hopelessly out of place in this room. Drake men didn't participate in childbirth; usually chased far away by the women until after it was over. But Kaoru was reaching out for him. He moved quickly to her side, taking her hand in both of his. She sucked in a deep breath, her hand grasping his, as another pain knifed through her.

"Kaoru," he murmured, his voice filled with anguish.

"I'm all right," she tried to assure him when in passed.

Kenshin nodded, his expression doubtful.

Nara bustled into the room carrying a bowl of water and a clean cloth, which she placed on the table beside the bed. Helping Kaoru to sit up, she braided the girl's hair to keep it out of the way.

"How long does it usually take?" Kaoru asked.

"There's no way to tell with the first baby. The first ones usually take their time, but you never know." Nara glanced at Kenshin's worried face and patted his arm reassuringly. "Don't fret. She'll be fine."

Kenshin nodded, but during the next two hours he began to doubt that Nara knew what she was talking about. Kaoru's pains came harder and faster, and he was amazed at her strength as she endured one pain after another. She clung to his hands, often surprising him with their crushing pressure as their child struggled to be born.

It was nearly midnight when Miki arrived with the doctor. Ataru was with them.

"What took you so long?" Nara scolded her husband as the doctor examined Kaoru. "You've been gone for hours!"

"There was an emergency at the jail. Prisoner got shot trying to escape. Doc worked on him for a long time, but the man died anyway."

"What's he doing here?" Nara wanted to know, nodding in Ataru's direction.

"I don't know. He was at the jail, and he insisted on coming along."

"There's trouble brewing," she predicted.

Miki nodded. The tension between the Wild Boy and the lawman was thick and suffocating.

Miki and Nara went into the kitchen to make tea, leaving Kenshin and Ataru alone. The lawman waited until they had both quite vanished before he swiftly drew his gun and leveled it at Kenshin.

"Put your hands behind your back," he ordered gruffly.

Kenshin didn't move, his furious eyes daring the man to pull the trigger.

Ataru cocked the gun. "Do as I say, or the kid's not going to have a father."

Kenshin reined in his temper slowly, swearing softly under his breath. It would cause Kaoru too much stress if she knew there was anything amiss. And at a time like this, stress could kill. He couldn't take the chance, not now.

A muscle worked in his jaw as he slowly obeyed the lawman's instructions, his body going rigid when he felt the cold handcuffs locking around his wrists, and then the sword sliding away from his side.

"Well," Nara said as she pushed her way through the kitchen door. "It should be too much longer. I…" He voice trailed off as she saw the gun in Ataru's hand.

"What the hell's going on here?" Miki demanded.

"The Wild Boy is wanted by the law," Ataru said curtly.

"Wanted?" Nara snapped. "For what, I'd like to know?"

"Murder."

There was a short, surprised silence.

"Who'd he kill?" The question was asked by Miki.

"One of the road bosses."

"Oh, yeah," Miki murmured. "I remembering hearing some talk that it had been a Wild Boy."

Kenshin turned around, his eyes moving from Nara's face to her husband's. These people had been friends to him and Kaoru. Had that changed, now that they knew he had killed a man? He was surprised to find out that he cared what they thought, that he had come to value their friendship, their opinion of him.

A heavy silence hung over the room, and then, sounding as soft and sweet as the song of a lark on the first day of spring, came the first, lilting cry of a newborn child.

Kenshin swung toward the sound, his heart lifting with anticipation. At last, his child was here.

Nara rushed toward the door and opened it so that the new father might see his wife and child. Kenshin flashed her a grateful smile, and then he hurried into the room, all else forgotten as he looked on Kaoru and the blanket-wrapped bundle cradled in her arms.

"Here now," the doctor admonished. "I'm not finished in here yet."

But Kenshin ignored him, going to the bed, he dropped to one knee, smiling at his woman. Her face was pale and damp with sweat, but her smile was radiant.

"It's a boy!" she said, proud that she had been right all along, and she drew back the blanket from the child's face so Kenshin's could see.

Tiny fists flailed in the air, and Kenshin could see red down covering his head, so similar to his own, except maybe a touch darker. "Oh, Kaoru," he murmured in awe, his voice thick with emotion.

"Isn't he beautiful? Perhaps he'll have a sister next year."

"Perhaps."

"Would you like to hold him?" Kaoru asked, looking at him strangely, wondering why he hadn't touched his son.

"Kaoru…"

"What is it?" she said, alarmed by the grave tone of his voice. She looked at him intently, and then she noticed his arms were drawn behind his back.

"Ataru is here."

Kaoru drew in a deep breath, tears of anger prickling in her eyes. Her child wasn't even an hour old and already Ataru had come to take his father away.

"Don't cry," Kenshin begged softly. "I can't bear your tears."

Kaoru nodded, then groaned as the doctor expelled the afterbirth. Kenshin rocked back on his heels, his eyes intent on Kaoru's face as the doctor finished cleaning her up.

After assuring the couple that everything was fine, he took up his satchel and left the room. A moment later, Nara peeked in.

"Come in," Kaoru invited her.

"Shall I take the baby?" she asked. "He needs a bit of a bath, and I think you two might like to be alone."

"Yes," Kaoru said, handing her son to the woman. "Thank you."

When they were alone, Kenshin sat on the edge of the bed and Kaoru put her arms around him, holding him as tight as she could. Kenshin nuzzled the top of her head, then let his lips trail over her forehead and nose to her mouth.

Nara washed the baby quickly and efficiently, then dressed him in a clean sacque and laid him in the cradle his father had made for him. Then, squaring her shoulders, she marched to where Ataru still waited to confront him.

"It's shameful," she declared, "arresting a man the day his child is born! What can you be thinking of?"

Ataru took a step back, feeling like a rooster being attacked by a banty hen. "He's a wanted man," he said defensively. "I'm only doing my job, and doing it the best way I know how. Any other time, and there would have been bloodshed, his or mine, and I didn't want that to happen if I could prevent it."

"The law, the law! There's more to life than the law. That man needs to hold his wife in his arms, and she needs to be held. And he needs to hold his son as well. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Ataru looked over Nara's head to her husband for help.

Miki shrugged elaborately. "She does carry one sometimes," he admitted. "But this time she's right."

Ataru felt his anger rise. "You two are almighty interested in what's right and what's wrong. What about Kamishi's rights? That Wild Boy killed him. Killed him in cold blood, so far as I know. The fact that his…his wife just had a baby doesn't change that."

Miki and Nara exchanged glances. Ataru was right, of course. A man had been killed and his murderer had been apprehended. If it hadn't been for their love for Kaoru and their affection for Kenshin, they would have been incensed to think that a known criminal was running loose in their midst.

"I'd best go look in on Kaoru," Nara said. "She's likely tired. Maybe a little hungry."

"I'll go with you," Ataru said.

Kenshin stood up as they entered the room. Kaoru had fallen asleep, and Nara clucked softly as she saw the dark shadows under the girl's eyes, the tear stains on her cheeks.

"Poor child," the woman murmured. "She's done in."

Ataru grunted softly. Then he drew his gun and waved it in Kenshin's direction. "Get over here," he ordered. "Sit down with your back to the bed."

Kenshin did as bidden and Ataru unlocked one of Kenshin's wrists and quickly secured Kenshin's right hand to the brass bed frame.

"That should hold you for the night," he mused, holstering his gun again." He turned to Nara. "We'll be leaving at first light."

"Leaving?" she echoed. "Who's going to look after Kaoru and the baby while you're gone?"

"W-well, I assumed you'd be here."

Nara shook her head. Perhaps if Ataru thought Kaoru would be all alone, he would stay for a few days, and that would give Kenshin and Kaoru more time together. "We have to get back to town. We have a business to run, you know." She looked over her shoulder at her husband, who was standing in the doorway. "In fact, we'd best be getting on home. It's late, and we have to open the store first thing in the morning. Goodnight, Ataru-san, Kenshin. We'll be by to look in on Kaoru in a couple of days."

Ataru swore softly as the older couple left the house. He had intended to head right out for Seiyo in the morning, but now he'd have to hang around here until Kaoru was on her feet again. He scowled at Kenshin. _How long does it take for a woman to recover from childbirth? _he wondered irritably.

Growling, he flopped down on the floor by the door and settled back to try and get some sleep.

* * *

The sound of a baby crying roused Kaoru from her deep sleep. Frowning, she snuggled deeper into her blankets, wondering what a baby was doing in the house, and then her eyes flew open. It was _her _baby, of course, hers and Kenshin's.

She sat up as Ataru hurried into the room with the little boy held awkwardly, his face wearing a look bordering on fear.

"Here," he said, thrusting the baby into her arms. "I think he's hungry."

"Yes," Kaoru agreed. She looked past Ataru to the foot of the bed where Kenshin sat, glowering at the lawman. "Would you mind leaving the room while I…feed my son?"

Ataru blushed. "No, of course not," he said quickly. "I'll go out and look after your stock."

When they were alone again, Kenshin stood up, stretched, and then sat on the foot of the bed. Kaoru slid from under her blankets and joined him there, and they spent a moment admiring their son before she said, in a very low whisper, "Where is your sword?"

"Ataru has been busy while you were sleeping," Kenshin murmured back. "My sword, every knife in the house, even the fireplace implements, he's taken them all away." He smiled slightly. "I'm beginning to get the idea that he doesn't want me to escape, my love."

"So…you can't get free?"

Kenshin tested the handcuffs securing him to the bed. His wrists were thin, but the restraining device had conformed to the size of it. Dislocating his thumb wouldn't help matters; the cuffs were still too enclosed to allow him to wriggle his hand out of it. He would have to find another way. "Not right now, no. I just have to bide my time."

There was a little time of silence, and Kenshin felt a lump rise in his throat as he watched Kaoru nurse their child. Surely he had never seen anything more lovely. Kaoru had never looked more beautiful. And the child--he was a study in perfection from the top of his rusty head to the soles of his tiny, pink feet. Kenshin reached out to stroke a chubby little hand and the baby's tiny fingers curled around his much larger finger, holding tight.

When he looked back at Kaoru, he found her studying his face intently. "You're not going to Seiyo," she said firmly. "You're staying here with us."

Ataru cooled his heels for three days. In that time, he did the cooking, tended the stock, tried not to be jealous of the loving looks that passed between Kaoru and the Wild Boy. Kaoru looked positively adorable as she held her son, whose name, it seemed, was to be Kenji, cooing to him, softly stroking his cheeks, rocking him to sleep. He felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of taking away the man she loved, that he was depriving a boy of his father, but I wasn't his fault the Wild Boy was a murderer. A man committed a crime, he had to pay the price. That was the way of it.

He was a little surprised at Kaoru, though. He had expected her to beg him not to take Kenshin back to Seiyo. He had thought she might even resort to tears, but she never mentioned their imminent leave-taking, and he was grateful for that. It proved she was resigned to the inevitable, that she had accepted it. She was unfailingly kind and polite, apparently harboring no ill will, and he was grateful for that, too, because he hadn't given up hope that she would be his once the Wild Boy was out of the way.

Kaoru recovered quickly, and on the morning of the fifth day after Kenji had been born, Ataru informed her that he would be leaving that afternoon.

"So soon?" she said.

"I'm afraid so. Is there anything that needs doing before I leave? I think you've got enough wood to last a couple of months."

"Thank you, Ataru. You've been very kind."

Her words cut into his heart. Kind indeed, he thought guiltily.

"I'll go out and feed the stock and make sure everything's in good shape," he said, not meeting her eyes. "Would you mind packing us a lunch?"

"Of course not."

"Thanks."

Kaoru prepared a huge lunch, mostly leftovers from Ataru's own cooking since she would have to admit it was still better than anything she might make, and then went to sit with Kenshin. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair as always.

They sat quietly close for an hour, not saying a word. It was enough that they were together. Later, Kenshin watched her nurse their son again, and then she set Kenji in her husband's free arm, listened as Kenshin murmured little nonsense things to the boy.

Too soon, Ataru came to get him. Kaoru held on a moment longer, showering kisses on his face not unlike the way he had done to her when she had freed him from the jail in Seiyo.

"Forever," she said to him as she pressed one last kiss to his lips.

"Forever," he promised back, ignoring the ever-steady gun in Ataru's hands.

But finally, Kaoru found herself standing on the porch, alone, watching Ataru and a well-trussed Kenshin ride away.

She watched them until they were out of sight, and then she turned and went into the house. Moving quickly, she gathered up a sack of food and set it aside. Going into the bedroom, she packed her child's diapers and clothing, a change of clothing for herself, as well as a hairbrush and few other items. Laying Kenji in his cradle, she went out to the barn and saddled her horse, then turned the stock loose.

Back at the house, she whisked about, making certain everything was locked up. She washed the breakfast dishes, made the bed, took up her provisions in one hand and the baby in the other, and left the house, carefully locking the door behind her. Ataru might think he was taking Kenshin away from her without a fight, but he had another think coming!

* * *

It was near dusk when she came up on the lawman's night camp. Kenshin was handcuffed to a tree and Ataru was preparing supper when she rode up.

"Got room for one more?" she asked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ataru exclaimed.

"I'm going to Seiyo."

Ataru stared at Kaoru, at a loss for words. He glanced at his prisoner, and saw that the Wild Boy was grinning openly. "Do you have anything to do with this?" he demanded.

Still grinning, and his eyes still on Kaoru, Kenshin said, "If she does anything, it's all her own idea."

"Well, Ataru-san?" Kaoru said. "Are you going to stand there staring all night, or are you going to help me down?"

"What? Oh." Ataru moved forward, muttering under his breath about women being more unpredictable than flash floods and summer storms.

The baby was asleep and Kaoru placed him beside Kenshin, then went to the fire and began seeing to what was left of preparing the food. It had advanced far enough that she thought she could see to it without ruining it too badly…

Ataru watched helplessly, and then he sat down on his saddle, his chin cupped in the palms of his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

Kaoru chatted amiably through dinner, her conversation including both men. Kenshin, still looking slightly amused, said little and Ataru said even less. Kaoru didn't seem like she noticed.

After dinner, Kaoru washed the dishes for them, fed Kenji, then sat beside the fire, inviting Ataru to join her.

"All right," Ataru said, letting out a long breath. "What's this all about?"

"I want you to let Kenshin go free."

Ataru gawked at her a moment. "I can't do that. He's wanted by the law for killing a man."

"It was self-defense," Kaoru said.

"Not the way I heard it."

"And what did you hear?"

"I read the report Kamishi's partner filed. It said the Wild Boy escaped and bashed Kamishi's brains in."

"It wasn't like that. Kamishi had shot Kenshin and would have finished him off. There was a struggle and Kenshin killed him in self-defense."

Ataru snorted. "Is that what he told you?"

"Yes, and I believe him."

He shrugged. "I guess you can believe anything you want, but it doesn't change anything."

"You don't believe it was self-defense," Kaoru snapped, "and neither will anyone else."

"He'll get a trial."

"Sure," Kaoru said. "And who'll be sitting on that jury? A dozen New People who think just like you do."

"Damn it, Kaoru, I don't make the laws!"

"Isn't there anything I can do to change your mind?"

"No, so you might as well go on back home in the morning."

"Oh, no, no. You're very stubborn about upholding the law. You only see the black and the white. Very well, then, Ataru-san, then I insist you arrest me for helping Kenshin escape from jail."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm perfectly serious. And if you won't arrest me, then I'll turn myself in when we get to Seiyo."

Ataru swore under his breath. Women! He raked his fingers through his hair, then scowled at her. Was she serious? Would she really turn herself in?

"Fine, do it then," he said, calling her bluff. "But if they arrest you, they'll take your baby and put him in an orphanage. Is that what you want?"

"No one has to tell me what an orphanage is, Ataru-san, and I can tell you I don't want my son in one. What I want is for you to let Kenshin go. He saved your life, you know. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does, and I'm grateful. But I can't compromise the law. I swore to uphold it. I took an oath."

"Then I'm under arrest too!"

Ataru let out a long sigh. What we he going to do with her?

Before he had quite made up his mind, an arrow swished through the air and ploughed into a deep furrow near his foot. Another flew to land in the tree just above Kenshin's head.

Ataru swore as he pushed Kaoru too the ground. Snatching his gun, he fired into the direction they had come, and felt a third arrow nick his left arm.

There was a wild, howling cry.

Kenshin made a soft noise, something between a laugh and a sigh. "Kaoru, my love, it looks like your plan to end this without bloodshed might not come to be."

"Throw down your weapons, Enemies, or you will all die," a voice called from the darkness.

"I'm afraid there is only one Enemy here, Brothers, but he is also the only one with a weapon," Kenshin called back.

"Shut up!" Ataru hissed.

"Brother?" the same voice said in surprise. "Sing out your face-name," he demanded.

"Kenshin."

"Kenshin! Truly? What are you doing with an Enemy?"

"I'm his prisoner. My wife and son also."

"Shut up!" Ataru warned. "Or I'll kill you now!"

"That wouldn't be wise," Kenshin said. "Brothers of Dragons don't look fondly on one who kills one of their own."

"Perhaps you should surrender," Kaoru suggested.

"Surrender!" Ataru exclaimed. "Are you crazy? Besides, there can't be very many of them, or they'd rush us."

There was a movement in the underbrush, the sharp twang of an arrow being loosed, and a high-pitched yelp as the shaft found its mark in Ataru's right shoulder. His gun fell from a hand gone numb, and before he could retrieve it, he was surrounded by three Wild Boys.

Two of them jerked the lawman to his feet and bound his hands behind his back while the third unlocked the cuffs and freed Kenshin.

No one was paying attention to Kaoru, and she hurried to her son, picked him up. He made a sleepy sound against her, his thumb in his mouth.

Kenshin and the warriors were talking rapidly among themselves. After a short while, the three other dragoners sat down and began rummaging through Ataru's packs for something to eat.

Kaoru came to stand beside her husband. "Who are they?"

"Renegades," Kenshin said, sounding terribly sad. "They abandoned the hills with a lot of younglings and pups because they feel it's getting harder than its worth to defend the land. They tell me a lot of dragons are moving toward the Shining Mountains again in hopes defense will come more easily there." Kenshin looked at Ataru, who was squatting on the ground. His right shirt sleeve was soaked with blood, and his face was pale. A fine layer of sweat sheened his brow.

Kaoru followed his gaze. "What now?"

"Nothing."

"What about Ataru?"

"They mean to kill him, a little at a time."

"Why?"

"He killed one of them when he fired into the brush."

"But that was self-defense. Doesn't that mean anything to anyone?"

Kenshin sighed through his nose, closing his eyes against the layers of frustration that had seemed to come down upon him. "These warriors are renegades now, Kaoru. They have no families, and the hills are being abandoned and there's not much there to go back to. They're angry and confused and they feel the need to shed blood. This is a terrible thing, Kaoru. Their minds are twisted by the constant fighting and hiding and hating. It's just like…"

Just like the young drakes that wanted to go raiding and attack a stagecoach.

Kaoru laid a hand on his arm. "You can't let them kill Ataru," she said urgently. "You have to stop them, Kenshin."

Kenshin opened his eyes and looked at Kaoru, his eyes glittering fiercely. "You must not interfere, Kaoru. No matter what happens this night, you must not interfere. The blood lust is as strong with these boys as it has ever been with any dragon. I don't know how much honor they even have left."

Kaoru held Kenji closer as a cold chill crept down her spine. She realized suddenly what Kenshin was trying to tell her. These Wild Boys had nothing to lose and nowhere to go. Kaoru had been unable to find where Ataru had hidden Kenshin's weapon before she had left the house to go after them, and without a sword, Kenshin didn't have much of a chance if they turned on him, and they were desperate and angry enough to do so if he crossed them. Then there would be no one to protect her and the baby.

It was going to be a very long night.


	24. The Taste of Bittersweet

24  
The Taste of Bittersweet

Kaoru sat in the shadows several yards from the roaring fire, cradling her son to her as she watched Kenshin and the other Wild Boys stand around their prisoner. Kenshin had shed his shirt and loosed his hair and had shaken it out so that it floated freely around his face and down his back. The flames flickered across his chest and face and off the shine of his hair, giving the whole of him a hellish cast.

As seemed to be always, Kenshin was the smallest of the men he stood with, but he was far more frightening than the others, who didn't seemed to absorb and reflect the flames as he did. Kaoru almost couldn't recognize him, and that frightened her more than anything.

Ataru had been spread-eagled by the fire. Sweat ran freely from him, caused by the nearness of the flames and the gut-wrenching fear that twisted his insides, filling his mouth with the brassy taste of terror.

The Wild Boys sank down on their haunches, regarding their Enemy quietly.

The lawman's mouth went dry as one of the warriors drew a knife from a beaded sheath on his belt. A low murmur of barely-contained excitement rose from the throats of the younger Wild Boys. The fun was about to begin.

Kenshin's face was cold as he took the knife from the warriors hand. "Ataru," he said, his voice hard and low, "how much pain can you bear without weeping?"

Ataru swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"The Brothers here mean to cut the flesh from your body an inch at a time." Slowly, Kenshin laid the blade against Ataru's chest. "You know how it is when you cut yourself, how it is when the air hits the wound? Your whole body will feel like that. You'll wish for death, but it will be a long time coming."

"Go to hell," Ataru rasped.

Kenshin shrugged. "Perhaps you're braver than I thought." He nodded. "We'll know for certain soon."

Ataru's whole body went rigid as Kenshin tossed the knife to its owner. In desperation, he twisted his head around, his eyes fixed on Kaoru. _I will not scream_, he vowed. _No matter what they do to me, I will not scream_.

Kaoru had laid her son on the ground beside her. She rose to her knees, her hand pressed to her heart as she looked at Ataru, then to Kenshin, still looking demonic in the glow of the flames. _Savage_, she had heard him called at times, and never did he look more like one than now. He didn't look or sound anything like the same man who had loved her so tenderly.

_Just, please, don't give up on me again_, he had once said to her.

Kaoru bit her lip and swallowed. If now wasn't a good time to just close her eyes and trust the man she loved, there never would be one.

The Wild Boy with the knife bent forward and she could see his hand moving across Ataru's chest as he made a shallow, square cut and drew away a tiny strip of flesh, no larger than a fingernail.

Fighting the urge to gag, Kaoru turned away.

Kenshin threw a glance in her direction, silently praying that she would just stay where she was and keep quiet. He was playing a dangerous game, and all their lives hung in the balance.

Ataru sucked in a deep breath as the knife-wielding warrior cut into his flesh a second time. The same, shallow, tiny square cut. The pain wasn't very bad, not yet, and much worse than that was the fear that he wouldn't be able to endure this bravely. Somewhere he had read that vengeful Wild People always granted quick deaths to those who impressed them with bravery.

So, was that really all he had to look forward to now? Just a quick death?

"Ataru."

He heard Kenshin's voice as if from far away. With an effort, he drew his gaze from Kaoru and met the Wild Boy's eyes. He was surprised to see they were alone. The other three dragoners had gone.

"What do you want?" Ataru forced the question through trembling lips. He was shivering convulsively now.

"I'm going to offer you a life. Your life in exchange for mine."

"What do you mean?"

"The Brothers have agreed to release you if you'll allow me to return to Iyo with my wife and bother us no more. In addition , you may take the body of our dead Brother and tell your people that it's mine so that no one else will come hunting me."

Ataru stared at Kenshin, unable to speak. Relief went through him like sand held in too tight a grip.

Kenshin mistook his silence for doubt and his face grew hard. "I won't ask you again. I said once I wouldn't spare your life a second time, but I do so now only because my wife thinks highly of you. Whether you live or die makes no difference. I'll return to town with my woman. You will never have her."

"I accept your offer," Ataru said quickly. He blinked up at Kenshin, trying to flick sweat off his eyelashes. "Do you think me a coward?"

Laughter erased the harsh lines from Kenshin's face as he picked up the knife and cut the lawman free. "I think you're a wise man," he allowed. "Wise and brave. And if you're smart as well, you'll leave this place right this very instant before the Brothers change their minds."

"Smart's my middle name," Ataru said. He rubbed at his wrists, hesitating. "I…thanks for your help. Here and back in Iyo."

Kenshin nodded slightly. "I hope someday you find a woman to please you as much as my woman pleases me."

Ataru glanced at Kaoru, who was still standing across from the fire. "I hope so, too," he said softly, and quickly collecting the rest of his gear and the body lying dead in the brush, he rode away from the camp. He would never see Kaoru again.

Kaoru and Kenshin didn't have much time to talk that night. The three Wild Boys curled up near the fire and were soon snoring softly. Kaoru was certain she would never be able to sleep after all that had happened, but she had barely closed her eyes when sleep claimed her.

The warriors were gone the following morning, but, even so, Kaoru was strangely ill at ease with her husband. She tended to her son, ate silently with Kenshin a quick breakfast, and then it was time to go.

Kaoru was reaching for the baby when Kenshin caught her by the arm and turned her around to face him.

"What is it?" he asked. "What's troubling you?"

"Troubling me?"

Kenshin didn't ask again. He only waited, eyes soft and expectant. Here he was now, as he was supposed to be…yet…last night…

Kaoru gazed into his eyes, her own looking lost and confused. "I watched you last night and I didn't know you."

Kenshin frowned. "I don't understand."

"I know you wouldn't have used that knife in that way on Ataru."

"No. Not that way."

"I…I know. I know if you were going to kill him, you'd have done it quickly. You wouldn't be so cruel, so…"

"Savage?"

"Yes," she admitted shamefully. Then, "Kenshin…why didn't you kill him?"

"I found a better way."

"Because of me?"

"Yes." Kenshin smiled at her. "The others wanted to kill him quite badly, but I told them I needed him alive, and they finally agreed."

She blinked. "Then that business about skinning him alive was--"

"A farce, yes. Once I had them convinced to let me have him for my own purposes."

"That was cruel, letting Ataru think he was going to die when you knew all along he wasn't."

Kenshin shrugged. "It was the only way I could make him see things my way, and the only way I could remain with you without having to kill him or any others who came after me in his stead." He drew her close and kissed her forehead. "Ataru is alive and well, and the Wild Boy who killed Kamishi is dead as far as the New People's law in concerned. Aren't you pleased?"

Put that way…perhaps it had really all been worth it. "Yes," she said.

Kenshin took Kaoru's face in his hands, his thumbs tracing the line of her cheekbones. "I have often thought that I would return to my people, but I know now that you _are _my people. I listened to my Brothers talk last night. I heard the bitterness that's infected them, the hopelessness. They're…without purpose. They're seeking the old ways of life, but that's all fading away." He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. "All those years ago, my master was right. At least in part. The best I could do was to keep the New People off the mountains, and protect whomever was in my sight. But I couldn't stop the New People from coming, no matter how much skill is in the hand that wields my sword. And I never can. And now, I wouldn't if I could. You are of them, and my own son is half of them."

His hands dropped to her shoulders, and he drew her close, savoring the sweet softness of her, the way she fit perfectly against him, her arms coming around him.

"I'm told most of the dragons are thinking of going into crystal sleep," he said, his voice hauntingly sad.

"What is that?"

"They wish to bury themselves deep in the living stone of the Shining Mountains. In a crystal sleep, one thousand years will pass before they next wake. It's their hope to wake up into a better world." His arms tightened a little around her. "If they do this, then there really won't be much reason to keep fighting. The greed of the New People might just taper off for want of the gold in the hills. In time, they'll forget dragons ever existed. A thousand years is a very long time. The world…it will be a much colder place without them. If they sleep, it saddens me that my son will never know them."

They stood together for a long moment, listening to their son gurgle contentedly. And then, Kaoru drew back a little, her eyes seeking his. "Where are we going to go from here?"

"Home," Kenshin said simply.

Her heart skipped a beat. "To Iyo?"

He nodded. "The farm will be our home now. We'll start a new life together, you an I. And our pups."

Pups. Plural.

"Will you truly be happy there?"

"I'm happy wherever you are," he said, the glow of his eyes meaning it. "Iyo is a good place to start."

"Start what?"

"A new kind of fight. I'm not entirely certain how to go about doing what I must do, but I have to do what I can with my short lifespan with the hope that this might be a better world for the dragons of my people when they wake up. Should they decide to sleep."

"Do you think they will? Sleep?"

"They can't bear to see what is happening to their young, and what the fight is doing to the human pups. I've seen what they fear with my own eyes. The New People have treated us like animals or so long, we're starting to become animals. So…I think they will. They believe it's for the best."

He drew her close again and his kiss was long and possessive and filled with promises for the future. Because there was still a future. For them. For everyone. Even, eventually, for the dragons.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes," Kaoru answered softly. Then the sadness lifted a little from her heart when he lifted her to the back of her horse and then picked up Kenji and placed him in her arms.

She watched Kenshin jump effortlessly aboard his own mount, admiring the form of him before he turned a little to look at her, love and a soft kind of peace in his eyes.

Then she touched her heels to her horse's flanks and followed Kenshin home.


	25. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kaoru sat on top of the rail of the fence, watching as Kenshin instructed their three-year-old son in the art of horseback riding. Kenji was every bit a Wild Boy, from the untidiness of his long red hair to the way he talked. He was listening attentively now as his father explained that he must hold the reins lightly but firmly, never letting them go slack so that he lost contact with the horse's mouth, never jerking on the reins.

Kaoru's heart swelled with pride as she watched them. The time had gone quickly and they were happy. The farm was thriving. They had several hundred head of white-faced cattle, a half dozen well-bred horses, as well as a the usual number of pigs and chickens. They had a dozen rabbits to please Kenji. Her garden flourished under her loving care, and their vegetables were eagerly bought by many of the people who lived in town.

Her eyes strayed to Kenshin. It hadn't been easy for him, learning to be a farmer. During the first year, he had often been restless, and she had still secretly feared that she might wake and find him gone, gone back to the mountains or the hills or the valleys where he had seemed to belong. But, gradually, he had come to love the land as she did, to think of it as his, at least while he lived. Most of the people in town had come to accept him, especially the females once they had actually gotten a look at him, much to Kaoru's irritation. Still, it had to be better than before, considering. There were a few who still remained standoffish, some who still wouldn't speak to them entirely, but she had learned to live with that, believed that, with time, hearts might become unshuttered.

Nara and Miki remained very dear friends, visiting often. A lot of people had changed their minds about Kenshin because of them. The older couple were well-liked and respected, and if they found no fault in a the Wild Boy, then there was simply no fault to find.

Kenshin eventually gave up buck and wolf skins for clothing and started wearing a gi and hakama at her coaxing. It irritated him at first how the long sleeves were always getting in his way, but he got used to it. In time, he even admitted these clothes kept him cooler than his old ones. Only his long hair remained unchanged.

"I can't cut it," he'd once said with a small smile. "For one thing, I'm still a Brother of Dragons. We've always worn our hair long. But more importantly, my sister would kill me."

Kaoru had smiled. Truly wise, was his Taura.

They got news from Hiko every so often. He wrote that most of the elder dragons, including old Mareo, and most of the pups had already gone into crystal sleep, several thousand lying dormant already, and more coming in from faraway lands to sleep in safety. Some of the younger dragons were resisting, but perhaps that wasn't altogether a bad thing for a few to be left awake. The master himself still lived in Himura, looking after most of the Wild People who weren't ready--if they ever would be--to try to join into the New People's world.

Hiko figured in time there would be no New People and no Wild People. In time, at least that one distinction would be no more. There would just be, well, people.

Perhaps, it really would be for the best, in the end.

Kaoru sat there, basking in the sun, content to watch her husband and son as they circled the corral. Kenji sat erect, his legs resting at the horse's sides, his hands holding the reins as his father had taught him. He grinned and waved as they passed by her, and she waved back, but it was Kenshin who held her attention. She never tired of looking at him.

Kenshin felt her gaze and his eyes found hers. A slow smile spread over his face, and Kaoru felt her insides grow warm as his love crossed the distance between them, caressing her.

_I love you. _Kaoru mouthed the words as she dropped her hand over her abdomen. A new life rested there, just beneath her heart.

Kaoru knew it would be a girl, in the same way she knew that Kenji would be a boy. She thought they might grow the little girl's hair very long and braid it with colorful ribbons. She had already decided they would call her for Kenshin's sister. She hadn't told him this yet, but she had a feeling it would please him. It was, after all, a very beautiful name.

Kenshin led the horse around the corral one more time, then he lifted Kenji from the mare's back and the boy ran off toward the barn and the new kittens that were sleeping there.

Kenshin crossed the corral to stand by Kaoru, his arm circling her waist. Their eyes met and held hers and the love they shared passed quietly between them, as strong as the mountains that protected the sleeping drakes, as sure as the sunrise.

Kenshin felt a tug at his heart as he looked on her. Much in his life had changed, but his love for her remained ever the same, and though he no longer hunted in a dragon's way in the shadows in the valleys of the higher lands, and no longer rode the trail of war, he knew that, in the eyes of his woman, he would always be a warrior.

He put his hands around her waist, lifting her from the fence into his arms. She smelled of sunshine and soap and a little bit like the soy sauce from dinner.

Gently he placed her on her feet, his eyes never leaving her face. She was his woman, his wife, more precious, more beautiful, with each passing day.

Forever was promised, and forever it was going to be. This woman who had needed love now had all the love she would ever need, he mused.

And he was free now, Kenshin realized. Truly free, more free than he had felt in a long, long time, since the day of his sister's death. Or maybe from longer than that, maybe from that day Taura had carried him from the mountain the very first time they were forced from their homes. He felt free from any bitterness. Free from the constant need to fight, to find the elusive justice he had been seeking. He felt now that he had been looking in all the wrong places.

A powerful gust of wind caught them by surprise, and out of reflex, Kenshin reached out and caught something flying toward them. The wind stopped just as suddenly as it had started, and Kenshin opened his hand, blinking at the object he had plucked from the air.

It was a long, thin, and faded piece of cloth. His lips parted with wonder as he stared at it.

It was a simple yellow ribbon.


	26. Disclaimer and Author's Notes

Disclaimer:

Rurouni Kenshin copyright (C)Watsuki Nobuhiro/Jump Comics/Shueisha/Sony Pictures Entertainment/Fugi TV. Notice that the name "Khrysalis" does not appear. That is because I own nothing and I do all this for free. ^^

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Author's Notes:

For those who are reading _Brother of Dragons _for the first time, or even just to refresh those who read it before and have forgotten in the years-long wait for its repost, a few notes on the story. I wrote this story sometime in 2002 or 2003. Feels like such a long time ago. But I published it for the first time in 2006. Sometime later that same year, I got an urge to take the story and rewrite it a bit differently.

Why? Well, for one thing, rereading it myself I could feel my own youth in the story. My style was different. Lighter, more halting. Looking back, I think I relied on coincidences too much, and I used the fairy-tale guide of symmetry. For example, when Kaoru saved Kenshin, Kenshin later saved Kaoru. When Kaoru pushed Kenshin away in her emotional turmoil, Kenshin did the same to her in his. When I described Kaoru trying to live among Kenshin's people and learn their ways and agonized about whether she truly belonged or not, Kenshin did the same when he tried to live among her people. Maybe there was nothing wrong with that, but I thought I would have liked to reorder things a little.

As it turned out, I might as well have left the story up as it was, because in the end it hasn't changed much. Not because I didn't work on it. I did. _Quite_ a while has passed since I started rewriting it, and eventually it got jostled to the back burner while I worked on stories I hadn't finished telling yet. Still, I had made a lot of changes and a few extra chapters would have appeared in the mix.

Not to be, though. Last summer my old computer died a smoking death. A lot of tragic loses in that computer, not just my BoD revisions. I've actually cried for a few of those lost stories. Let this be a lesson: please back up your work!

I was quite lucky that I had a friend I had sent a doc with the original version, which she sent back to me (thank you again, S!). Briefly, I considered trying to recreate some of the new version, but… Truth is, I've lost interest. I want to work on stories I haven't already told, put my focus on _Mindsifter _and back into _Sandalwood_ if I can. Another story I've left unfinished for far too long. I'd also like to sink my teeth into this story's sequel, _Warlord of Cats_.

I had liked the second version of BoD a little more, but…can't win them all, I guess. ^^;; I'd also better mention that this finished story is not entirely the original version. I thought about it briefly and decided to leave the altered second beginning and the extra chapter two that had not appeared in the original. I liked the scenes between Hiko and young Kenshin, and the earlier introductions of Nara and Miki.

Anyway, a few observations on the story. One of the points out of which the story grew was Hitokiri Battousai himself. Not the rurouni, but Battousai. In this story, I did one of my first evil little experiments on his personality. Manipulating his upbringing and altering his reasons and purposes, I manage to trim away the "hitokiri" part as well as the rurouni, leaving behind only the warrior. Since he was a soldier rather than an assassin, and his missions were to defend rather than to kill, the weight of lives that he took didn't drag his soul down as it does the canon Rurouni. In this sense, I felt he was lot more free. I was pleased with the way he turned out, and even with the small alterations of the person he became with the differences I introduced, I think he was still very much "Kenshin".

Kaoru had not turned out quite so well in my experiments with her. First problem was, I didn't know her quite as well when I wrote this story as I would later. I was close, but there were a few depths I didn't quite explore beforehand. For Kaoru, I wanted an extra measure of innocence, a sense of her being, as Kenshin observed "young for her years". I took away the dojo, the sword-art she taught, and the belief and drive in teaching it, and her sense of self--she was an orphan with no idea where she came from. She was placed in a harsh home with an unloving adoptive aunt and uncle who kept her as a slave rather than a daughter. She was downtrodden and kept isolated and made to be very, very aware of her helplessness and dependence.

Perhaps one could argue that this is how she would have turned out in these circumstances, but now, years after the story was written and I had gotten to know and understand Kaoru better, I feel like some of the fire of her soul, who she is in her heart of hearts, would have sprang forward in spite of being worked to the bone and repressed. In fact, in the early chapters that I rewrote, a discerning eye might see how I tried to rewrite her personality with new insight. I hope the small differences aren't too jarring when compared with the chapters that follow.

Also I want to remark on the absence of most of the rest of the RK cast. As I had written before in the original post, this story was meant to be about Kenshin and Kaoru. The others have such strong personalities with stories of their own, you see. I _could_ have written in Sanosuke and Megumi maybe in place of original characters Nara and Miki, or had Megumi be the doctor who delivered Kenji, but that would have made the moments complicated, took the focus off the main couple, and even perhaps cheapened their appearances. Nara and Miki had important supporting roles, helping Kaoru and Kenshin through a difficult time, but when they weren't needed they were easily brushed away by events. I only needed the doctor for a moment's time, and then I needed him out of the way so that the focus was on the drama. It just wasn't enough, not to write them in _just_ to have them in the story. It was different with ones such as Hiko or Kenji, because the both of them performed exactly the same roles as they had in the canon: Kenshin's mentor and son.

Many from the RK cast will be appearing in _Warlord of Cats_, though. I'm looking forward to exploring their lives in this universe.

The last thing I'll mention is the world this AU takes place in itself. Part of me relished the idea of Kenshin on a horse--something I never got to see in the canon, anime nor manga nor OVA. And almost never even in fanfiction or fanart. I love horses. I love Kenshin. Seemed only fitting to mix them together.

This process of logic led to the reasoning that, in all of his traveling Kenshin walked everywhere he went. No reason not to because, in spite of how great Japan is and how enduring the country's history and people and the might of its empire throughout time, the place is actually quite tiny. Not only tiny, but the land is long and narrow. It seemed that I could only easily force Kenshin onto a horse as part of his daily life if I made the land he lived on so massive, with so much land and untamed distance between towns and locations that traveling on horseback was commonplace and expected and simply a good deal wiser than traveling afoot.

On the same thought process, this idea brought to mind early American years, and thus the story began to flesh out when I incorporated the struggles between the American settlers (New People) and the American Indians (Drake People). As some have already seen and guessed. ;)

Still, I tried to keep a heavy Japanese flavor for both the world of the New People and the Drakes. To convey they weren't different races, but just sort of different nationalities. Kind of. Something like that.

Hope it worked even if I fudged a bit.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the incredibly huge wait. Bad judgment on my part. Whether you first read BoD back in 2006 or you're seeing it for the first time, I hope I've entertained you and served you well in this forever-finished-firmly-to-be-left-alone final version.

I'll try not to be all year about the next time I update…anything. ^^;;

Until next story…


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